Mad Dog Act II: Guardian Killer
by TheMenace3117
Summary: Knuckles agrees to help bring in two psychopaths, but the bad side of his professional life bleeds into the good he does in his personal life. Apart from taking care of three teenagers who hate him, Sonia's drama and his boss, things become even more complicated once Shadow gets involved.
1. Chapter 1

**HELLO READERS! THIS IS PART TWO OF MY FANFIC "Mad Dog", WHICH FOCUSES ON KNUCKLES THE ECHIDNA. DON'T WORRY IF YOU HAVEN'T READ PART ONE, THIS IS MOSTLY SEPARATE FROM THAT STORY, AND I WILL GIVE A BRIEF BACKSTORY ON THAT DURING THE FIRST FEW CHAPTERS. PLEASE REVIEW AFTER YOU HAVE READ AND TELL ME WHAT YOU THINK, AND ENJOY!**

 _Chapter 1: The Guardian_

2 months ago, Knuckles met one of the biggest con men on the planet, who almost killed him, along with his girlfriend whom he thought was dead for 5 years. He also has the unique ability of knowing when someone is lying or telling the truth,

and he may or may not be a devil whorshipper.

This first scumbag is called _**Angel**_.

While fighting off Angel's men, Knuckles ran into Scumbag number 2, _**Sleuth Dogg**_.

After the imprisonment of his former boss, Dogg spent the next eleven years gunning down targets who had the unfortunate fate of having their name put on a contract.

Instead of ending the assassin's life, Knuckles made a deal with Dogg to take down Angel, after having no success alone.

Dogg was shot in the head during the battle and taken away by the crime scene cleanup crew, while Angel sent his last man in to distract Knuckles as he made his getaway.

Julie-Su convinced Knuckles to leave the police to handle Angel, and stay with her for the summer.

Then Vector gave him a call saying he'd found Angel AND Dogg, still alive and well in a town called Vace Beach.

Dogg blames the echidna for getting him shot down.

After visiting his friends in Green Hill, Knuckles agreed to help track down these two. Sonic's sister Sonia, whom Knuckles had a relationship with years before, ran into him and offered a ride into town. She had her limousine driver pick him up so they could talk in the back.

Things were still very awkward between Knuckles and Sonia for the whole ride into town, so she decided to just get it out of the way.

(" _Bringing on the Heartbreak_ " by Def Leppard plays thru the limo's sound system)

"So, are you dating anyone or are you still going around breaking hearts?"

Knuckles chuckles at this comment

"Haven't you heard? Only thing I break now are jaws. It's all I'm good for, I guess... but to answer your question, I am with someone. At least I think I'm still dating her"

Sonia rests her elbows on her knees and leans closer "What do you mean?"

"..it's complica-"

"Don't say it's complicated, I hate that expression so much! Either you're with her or you're not"

Knuckles looks out the window "We fought last time I saw her and she called me an asshole, but said she still cared for me... I don't know, she wanted some time alone, so I guess I'm not with her, at the moment"

"Well, at least she got to say goodbye before you left..."

"Look, I had a reason to leave you, Sonia. This is my job. I beat the crap outta criminals and haul 'em in. It doesn't exactly give me much free time. Maybe if there weren't so many pieces of shit in this world, I could take a vacation, but there's not. So I can't stop!...all I can say is I'm sorry"

The pink hedgehog leans back in her comfy leather seat

"Yeah. I am, too"

The Chrome-plated Limousine rides into the glossy town of Vace Beach at sundown. Knuckles looks out as they ride down The Strip, a long stretch of fancy bars and nightclubs that only the richest can enter. Everyone looks like they're enjoying themselves, while he's stuck in the back of a limousine with his ex.

"Where can I drop ya?" Sonia asks

"The park across from the Cop Shop is fine"

They fly through traffic and Sonia's driver pulls up to the curb at Stillwater Park, an urban grassland with fake trees, grass and plants. Only thing real in this park are the Christmas lights left over from the holidays. Unlike most of Mobius, it never snows in Vace Beach so the town folk decorate the city in fake snow and hang up plenty of lights.

Knuckles jumps out of the backseat and the driver grabs his bags from the trunk, while Sonia opens a bottle of what looks like Wine.

She reaches out and passes a card to him

"Call me if you get lonely, _Mr. Complicated_ " Sonia says with a smile

Knuckles takes the card and puts it in his front shirt pocket. He knew it would be warmer down south so he packed his best summer clothes. Sonia's limo races out of the area and disappears into local traffic.

The Echidna crosses the street and walks up the concrete stairs leading to the local Police Department. Vector and Espio needed to get him the job tracking Angel and Dogg, otherwise he wouldn't have been acting within the confines of the law as a vigilante.

As police scan his bags, Knuckles fist bumps Vector and Espio when they meet up with him in the lobby.

"Hey, boys. Where's the meeting room?"

"Upstairs. Top Brass are already waiting" Espio answers

"Seems like they're fans of yours, pal. You, Sonic and Tails are like movie stars down here, man" Vector says

"Yeah, well not everyone is a fan..."

The customs officer calls out to the trio

"Buddy, you're gonna have to leave your bags here" She says

"That's fine. But there'd better still be 4 bottles of Jack in there when I come back" Knuckles jokes

The trio get in an elevator and ride up to the 5th floor. Upon seeing him in the offices, Knuckles is surrounded with officers and cubicle workers who want to shake his hand. He says hello to everyone, but the sight of one officer makes him stiff

Mighty the Armadillo stands at the front of the office with his arms crossed, waiting for everyone to settle down.

"Are you morons done kissing his ass or can I continue?" Mighty asks

"Relax, _copperhead_ , you can go on with your little speech. I'm just gettin' settled in" Knuckles responds

"First off: in here, you'll address me as Detective. Out in the field, you'll address me as **_M_**. for identification safety purposes. Got that?"

Knuckles sits in an office chair "Sure pal. Sure"

M quickly walks over to Knuckles' desk, so he jumps up and stands face-to-face with the Armadillo

"Get this through your thick skull: You work for us, Jonathan!"

Knuckles glares at him "Don't call me that whack-ass legal name the government gave me"

"Listen, I don't give a shit what you, Sonic and Tails did ten years ago. You guys don't run jack shit these days-"

"Oh, is that how you see me? A glorified Vigilante?" Knuckles asks

"I see you as a lucky bastard to even BE let in on this operation. But we don't do things like you're used to. We pay you, which makes us your boss! I tell you-"

Knuckles pushes M away from him

"You don't tell me shit! You wouldn't even be a detective without us!"

Without warning, M throws a punch at Knuckles, which he easily dodges. He ducks under and tackles M onto a desk, while the rest of the personnel try to split them up. Knuckles punches his opponent in the body 5 times before he's pulled off.

"What the hell is goin' on?!" Staff Sargent Luggs asks

Everyone scrambles to hold Knuckles and M apart, while they curse each other out in front of the top brass.

"Sir, for the record, this is EXACTLY why I didn't want him joining this operation!" M shouts

Knuckles says nothing, just glares at his former friend

"Stand down, both of you! Jonathan, you cool down!" Luggs orders

Knuckles puts his hands up "I'm cool"

"Take the day off, get settled into your apartment. Go check out The Strip. Just stay away from each other until you're called in"

"Sounds like a great idea, sir" M says

"Yeah, blow me, pal" Knuckles responds "And by the way, your bosses called me in because YOU couldn't do your job. I'm your best chance at catching these pieces of shit, so calm down"

Vector and Espio lead Knuckles out of the board office, while M keeps talking trash to him.

"To think I used to call you a brother..." Knuckles says as he leaves

The trio leave the elevator, pick up Knuckles' bags and laugh hysterically as they get outside

"Man, that's one way to introduce yourself to the local PD" Vector says as he laughs "Shit, man that was awesome!"

"Somebody's gotta show him he ain't as bad as he thinks he is. ' _You will address me as M in the field_ ' oh, fuck off with that movie-cop bullshit! He's really got his head up his ass this time" Knuckles says

"The boys have been tellin' us he's been acting like quite the superstar since he got transferred here" Espio says

"Screw him. He ain't nothing... so, where's the apartment I'm staying at?"

Vector and Espio look at each other for a moment, then they jump inside a car to drive Knuckles to it. As the sun sets, the neon lights illuminate the streets and the parties begin all around town.

They reach a secluded part of Vace Beach with very few houses, then Vector pulls into a long driveway that leads to a three storey house, most of the lights already turned on.

"What, am I sharing the space with someone?" Knuckles asks

"Yeah. Our friends from Green Hill" Espio answers

"What? The punks?!"

Even before they get out of Vector's car, the trio are welcomed by Starr, Duncan and AJ, the Enhanced trio they fought back in Green Hill.

The three teenagers almost succeeded in killing Knuckles, Tails and Manic a few months back, with some outside help. Eventually, AJ, Starr and Duncan were defeated and arrested.

Facing a minimum of 15 years in prison, Vector offered them a chance to cut that sentence in half, by helping to catch Angel and Dogg.

Knuckles shakes his head "No.."

"Yep. It was one of M's orders. He outranks us, so he got final say on where they put you. Sorry, dude"

Knuckles grabs his bags, walks inside and looks around the moderate looking 2 storey house. The song " _Mother_ " by Danzig plays as he walks past the trio and makes his way through the main floor of the safehouse.

The echidna's phone rings so he answers it

"Hey Knux!"

"What, M..."

"Remember all that shit you were talking in the office? Well, I hope it was worth it! I wish I could see the look on your face right now!"

"You'll get yours soon, buddy. I promise you that"

"Hey, Knux, just to let you know: If anything happens to those punks, if they get killed, or if they escape custody, it's your ass that goes down. Seeing as it was YOUR idea to bring these drop outs to this operation, we figured they should be YOUR responsibility. So be a good boy and keep them in line"

Knuckles hangs up his phone and puts it in his pocket, while thinking about what to do. What to say. He knew he would be working with the teenagers, but he had no clue he'd have to share the same safe house with them.

"Alright. Lets get this shit outta the way" Knuckles says "If you guys be cool, I'll be cool. Lets just get this job done as fast as possible, and then we'll never have to see each other again"

AJ, the teenage echidna twice his size, approaches and looks down at him "What's stopping us from kicking your head in, breaking these ankle bracelets and gettin' outta here before anyone can find us?"

"I'm willing to bet M's got this place wired up with cameras and microphones, as well as having the phone lines tapped... you could jump me and try to escape, but you wouldn't get far"

"Yeah, you're in deep with the Cops, so I can imagine they'd save your ass in a heartbeat" Duncan says

"M doesn't give a flying fuck about me, he's probably hoping you will kill me just so he don't have to see me anymore" Knuckles fires back

"Wait, why are you here, then?" Starr asks

"Ask AJ why. He knows who these assholes are and what they've done. What they're going to keep doing"

"Come on, there's gotta be more to it than that. I bet they're paying you"

"What difference does it make? You wanna have your jail sentences cut in half or not? Just shut up, do the job and we can be done with this"

Knuckles walks past AJ and goes into the kitchen to pour himself a glass of Whiskey. The teenagers watch him fill it up, knock it back in one gulp, and pour another one.

"You look like you take this job seriously" Starr says sarcastically "You're quite the role model, Knux"

He slams his glass down "Let me make this clear: I'm not your father, any of you. I'm not your friend, and not anyone's role model. I'm here to finish something I started, that's all. So don't expect any good guy bullshit because you won't get any from me"

"So, we can expect some bad guy bullshit instead" Duncan says with a grin "You can start by pouring me a glass, bro"

"YOU can start by fucking right off and sitting your asses down. Look, there's a TV in the living room, why don't you guys go play a video game or something?"

"Your butt-buddies took them away when they arrested us, dummy" Starr says

"Butt-buddies? Do people actually still say that?" Knuckles asks

"I do, because I think you're in local circle-jerk contests with the cops"

Knuckles puts the bottle down "Do you listen to the words that come out of your mouth, I mean, what 14 year old talks like that?"

"I'm not 14. I'm 15, now. And there are plenty of kids who talk much worse than me"

Knuckles sighs as he pours another glass "Then I am getting old, pretty fast"

AJ crosses his arms and leans against the hallway wall "You didn't seem like a spry-chicken when I was whooping your ass all around Angel's arena"

Knuckles quickly gulps his drink and looks at AJ "First off, fuck you, I won, even when you had the advantage of being a giant red rage-monster. Secondly, I saved your life, so a little gratitude would be nice. And I'm getting a little sick of having highschool kids calling me an old, out of shape piece of shit"

"Don't forget alcoholic, old piece of shit" Duncan adds

Growing much angrier, Knuckles closes his eyes and inhales, trying to calm himself down. He exhales and walks to the living room, so the teenagers follow closely and continue bugging him.

He picks up the TV remote "If you're going to follow me, at least be a little helpful and tell me which channels are the music ones"

"Yeah, it's Channel Eat Shit" Duncan responds sarcastically

Knuckles sits down "I would say something snappy back, but I'm not an immature 16 year old douchebag who wears body spray instead of showering.."

"But you - you just said you wouldn't say anything snappy-"

"You-you-you, shut the hell up, you stuttering little shit"

The teenagers laugh as they sit down on the other black leather couches and watch Knuckles looking through the TV guide.

He gets a text from Vector so he throws the remote over to Duncan

 _ **The ankle bracelets can detect if the enchanced trio are trying to escape custody, and electrocutes them to prevent that. It also stuns them if they try to use their abilities against you or law enforcement**_

 _ **-V**_

Knuckles reads it over, then looks at the teenagers. He types a reply and waits for an answer

 _ **Currently, the house is in Safe House mode, meaning if they step out the door, they'll get zapped**_

 _ **-V**_

While reading this text, Starr leans over and tries to read over his shoulder

"Who are ya talking to? What's it say? Is it your boyfriend? Aw, that's cute, Knuxie!" She gleefully says

"Tell him to take it easy on ya, Knux! Your back looks like it's aching from that last pounding you took!" Duncan adds

"Yeah, because you're gay!" AJ calls out

Knuckles springs off the couch "Okay, I think I've had enough of this bullshit. See ya later"

"Aw, come on, we're just kidding! Hey, where are ya going? Can we come?"

Knuckles starts packing his gear bag "I have a feeling you're going to follow me regardless if I say yes or no"

"Cool, we're going on a walk with our new big brother!" Duncan says "Take us to the arcade, my man!"

"Lets go get ice cream!" Starr exclaims

"To the hell with both of those, take us to the nightclub!" AJ says

"We're not doing any of that shit, so settle down" Knuckles says as he opens the door

He walks outside and looks back to watch the show.

All three teenagers get shocked as soon as they take a step out the door. Knuckles laughs as they fall to the ground and groan in pain.

"What the hell was that?!" Duncan shouts

He gets electrocuted again, so he crawls back inside and his friends follow him

"That is called Safe House mode. If you try to leave the house before the operators change the settings to free roam, then you will be zapped in the most painful way possible" Knuckles says

"That's bullshit!" AJ shouts

"..You idiots try to kill me or escape? You'll be hit with 5 000 volts. Got it?"

"What, you're just gonna keep us here against our will? That's illegal! We're helpless kids!" Starr says

Knuckles walks closer to the front door "You can literally melt people with your mind-"

He points at AJ "You can rip anyone's arms off with ease-"

He points at Duncan "And you almost killed my friend Tails with a freaking cellphone"

The trio go silent

"You're not helpless kids. You're entitled little shits because of the things you can do. Well, now you know what it's like being afraid to leave your house because of what might happen... get that chip off your shoulder"

Knuckles turns around and walks across the large lawn, leaving the Enhanced Trio with nothing to say.

He pulls out his phone and calls a taxi, then Duncan stands up to ask him a question

"What do we do if we get hungry? There's like, no food in here!"

"Order a pizza"

"With what money?"

"Jesus christ..."

Knuckles pulls out his wallet, walks back across the lawn and hands Duncan $50 dollars

"Great. Unhealthy junk food is what we really need..."

Duncan walks away, and Starr looks up at Knuckles

"Where are you going?"

He sighs as he pulls out Sonia's card from his pocket "..I'm feeling a little lonely"

His taxi comes and races through the bright city streets, seemingly drenched in Neon lights and reflective Chrome buildings.

He reaches Sonia's hotel and rides a fancy gold themed elevator all the way up 50 floors. He walks down a wide hallway and knocks on the door of Sonia's luxury suite.

"There you are, I was wondering when you'd call" She says, breath smelling like exspensive wine

"..you a day drinker, now?"

"Only on my off days from work. I own the biggest share of The WestCorp Waste Managment company"

"So, you're a CEO of a cleanup company. Not bad"

Sonia bites her bottom lip and puts her drink down "That sounded like a jab, Jonathan"

"Why is everyone obsessed with bringing up my government name today?"

"I don't know about the others, but I remember when you actually liked that name. It suits you. Knuckles just sounds so ...childish"

"Is that what we're reduced to addressing each other? Like children? Or are we adults, now? Cause if you don't want to have a rational conversation, I'll just go"

Sonia pushes her door all the way open

"Is that what you came here to do? Talk rationally?"

She and Knuckles' eyes meet and they both smile

Sonia grabs Knuckles' shirt and pulls him inside her suite, while he shuts the door. She jumps up and wraps her legs around his waist, while he holds her up and they lock lips. He walks towards her bedroom, picks up a bottle of wine on the way and shuts this door next.

After almost an hour, Knuckles sits up on the edge of Sonia's bed, while she lays under her covers.

"I knew you still had some game left, but wow... that was-"

Knuckles' phone rings so he picks it up, listens to a frantic voice giving instructions, and he just replies with "Understood"

"What was that?" Sonia asks

"It would seem like I have some business to attend to" Knuckles resplies, putting his tank top back on

"Wait, you're leaving?"

"I have to. It's important that I go, or I might lose my job" He lies

Sonia sits up "But what about, y'know...us?"

Knuckles walks over to her and kisses her once more

"I'll come back. It won't take long"

"Please don't tell me that and just never speak to me again, I can't handle that a second time. If you can't come back, or you just don't want to, then just tell me. But please don't do this"

"I promise you, on my life, I won't make that mistake again"

He lightly squeezes her hand and walks towards the door, until Sonia calls his name

"You never did tell me why you're here"

"Friend of mine got me a job, it's easy work and good pay"

"But, doing what?"

Knuckles takes a moment to answer, sparking curiosity in Sonia

"Site cleanup"

"Bullshit"

"It's true. Buildings get abandoned or torn down, and we clean up the mess"

"You're out here to hurt someone, aren't you?"

"Only thing getting hurt here are my hands, they get sore easily-"

Sonia gives a passive laugh as she senses through his lies.

"Is it really that hard to tell me the truth?" She asks

"I am telling you the truth. My friend got me a job cleaning up messes around town, exactly the way your company does"

"My company cleans up forrests and grasslands, we don't clean blood off the streets, Jonathan"

"Look, what difference does it make what job I have? I make money, that's all that matters"

"It matters because you told me the same thing 7 years ago and you fucking left me!"

"Okay, I'm done saying I'm sorry to you. I know was wrong for doing that, but that was 7 years ago. A lot has changed since then, I changed and I'm not that guy anymore-"

"You haven't changed at all. You just got older"

Knuckles takes off a pair of dog tags, grabs Sonia's hand and gives them to her

"These dog tags were given to my father by the Alliance back in the old days, and he gave them to me before he passed. Not many things in life that I care about, but these are up there... I'll come back for these, I promise, I swear to you"

Sonia looks at the old silver plates, then nods at Knuckles. He grabs his gear bag and takes off into the elevator, ready to go to work.

He gets back to street level and pulls out his phone

"Alright, fill me in. What's the situation?"

"There's been two shootings in the last 10 minutes. First target is a known gang clubhouse, no civilians involved. Second appears to be a random shooting, victim is a single parent. Expected to live. I'll text you the address through the encryption line"

"Great. Lets go find these sons of bitches"

 **PLEASE REVIEW AND LET ME KNOW WHAT YOU THINK!**


	2. Chapter 2

_Chapter 2: A Pissed Off City_

The gunfire blares out just a few yards away from Knuckles, so he stays low as he enters an urban neighbourhood to check it out. He sticks in between houses to avoid being seen, while watching glass shatter from buildings caught in the crossfire.

He sees the long barrel of an assault rifle on top of a house about a block away, the shooter looking for their target in the street.

"Shit! M, send your men down here, this asshole is gunning for civilians!" Knuckles says into his phone

Even though he spoke quietly, the shooter still heard the distress call from his position, so he aims his gun in Knuckles' direction and opens fire.

He ducks down as bullets rain from the sky, ripping apart the side of the building he's using for cover. He crawls through the grass, frantically trying to get out of sight.

Then the shooter shouts in pain as _he_ is shot in the shoulder.

"The hell?"

Knuckles looks over as a second shooter fires an UZI up towards the rooftop

Then he realizes this is a firefight

"M, what's taking so long?! There's a god damn firefight going on out here!"

"You've got a weapon, use it!" M shouts back over the phone

"I don't use guns, you prick!"

"Do you wanna die out there? You gonna let those psychos shoot some more civilians? Use the fuckin' thing!"

Knuckles ignores this and tries to think of a way to disarm both shooters.

He unknowingly lifts his head out from behind a concrete staircase, giving the first shooter a chance to snipe him.

Sleuth Dogg reaches into his coat pocket, pulls out some gauze and wraps his shoulder up to stop the bleeding. He'll have to wait to pull the bullet out.

He looks over the balcony of his vantage point and spots Knuckles hiding behind a wide concrete staircase.

"I knew you'd show up, you son of a bitch.."

Dogg lifts his assault rifle up, takes a moment to aim and aligns the barrel with the top of the Echidna's forehead.

He pulls the trigger and Knuckles falls to the ground.

"...that's one down. Two more to go"

Dogg runs to the back of the rooftop, climbs down a ladder and uses the back streets to escape the area undetected.

Meanwhile, Knuckles lays on his side, uninjured but surprised to see who pulled him to safety.

"Shadow?! What're you doing here?" Knuckles shouts

The Black Hedgehog scans the area for Dogg, but he's long gone.

"...I was trying to eliminate Sleuth Dogg but then you showed up and let him escape..."

"Whoa, wait - you two are the shooters?!"

Shadow looks at the Echidna as they both get to their feet

"I don't have time for this"

Knuckles grabs Shadow's arm, so he ducks down, sweep-kicks his right leg and punches him in the mouth, knocking the Echidna backwards.

Shadow quickly grabs the pistol Knuckles is carrying from him as he falls down.

"Only warning you're gonna get-"

Shadow pulls the clip out of the pistol and throws it aside

"...next time, I'll shoot"

Knuckles growls at the Black Hedgehog, so he jumps to his feet and runs towards him

Shadow dodges the lightning fast combination of punches, catches one fist and painfully lifts his knee into Knuckles' rib cage.

He groans, but continues to fight.

Changing his approach, Knuckles attacks the Hedgehog's body, but Shadow has a counter for this as well.

Shadow side-steps to the left, elbow strikes Knuckles and kicks him under the chin.

Knuckles falls backwards but catches his balance and shakes off the pain.

"You won't win"

"Sure, I will. I've beaten you before"

"No, you haven't. Not me"

Knuckles gets back into his boxing stance and rushes in with a flurry of wild, but powerful punches. Shadow's reaction is a split second faster so he dips and ducks under every punch thrown. Shadow waits until Knuckles gets tired, but he seems to never run out of stamina.

Finally, Shadow ducks under, side-steps to the right and begins attacking all of Knuckles' vital areas: Liver, collarbone, side of the kneecap and bottom portion of the jaw.

Knuckles is knocked out by the accuracy and power of these punches Shadow throws. He falls on his face and the black hedgehog walks past him, disappearing just seconds before police arrive.

The Echidna wakes up inside of an ambulance being checked on by paramedics. He tells them to stop and let him out.

His head is spinning, everywhere on his body is sore and he can't see straight.

"Alright, asshole.. you got me this time. But I'll return the favor, believe me on that..."

The dizzy Echidna stumbles into the lobby of the hotel Sonia is staying at.

A male receptionist calls out to Knuckles just before he reaches the elevator

"Can I help you, sir?" He asks

"No. I know where I'm going.."

"I'm sorry to say, sir, but you aren't permitted to enter without a reservation or clearance from a guest"

Knuckles sighs and walks towards the front desk

"Listen, pal, I was here earlier. I came to see Sonia, the CEO of WestCorp. Nobody gave me a hard time then, why are you doing it now? Just let me up"

The receptionist looks through his computer, while Knuckles glares at him

"Sir, Miss Sonia has already checked out"

Knuckles takes a deep breath and walks out of the lobby.

 _Just my luck..._

He calls a cab and rides back to the safe house. His injuries only get worse as he sits in the back seat, but he refuses to get medical attention so he suffers quietly.

He can't believe his eyes once he reaches the safe house. He pays the cab driver, gets out and enters the house party.

Multi-coloured lights flash and loud Trap music blares throughout the entire house, while Duncan, Starr and AJ sit in the living room across from Sonia

"WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON?!" Knuckles shouts, barely audible over the pulsing music

"Oh, hey Knuckles. Come have a drink" Sonia says

"What - how'd you find - Why are you here? You shouldn't be here, Sonia!"

The pink hedgehog pulls out the Dog Tags Knuckles gave her earlier and she hands them back.

"I kinda knew you were lying to me, so I did some digging and it didn't take me long to find out what you're really doing here. I like your place, by the way. It's nice"

"Sonia, I'm serious, I could get in a lot of trouble for this!"

Knuckles' attention is shifted to the kitchen as Vector walks in with a Beer Cooler.

"Knuckles, you're back. What's up" he greets

"You knew about this?!" Knuckles asks

Suddenly, Espio's invisibility cloaking dissolves and he appears next to Vector

"We helped set this up"

Duncan grabs a slice of pizza "You know, you guys ain't so bad"

Knuckles can't find anything to say, just looks around at everyone in the party.

Then Mighty the Armadillo jumps out of a G.U.N vehicle and speed walks to the front door

"Oh great, here comes dip shit, now! Fuck sake..."

M pushes open the door and presses the stop button on the sound system

"The FUCK are you idiots doing?!"

Sonia puts her glass down "Whoa, calm down, jerk. What does it look like? We're having a house party!"

M turns to Knuckles "Did you organize this? What's the matter with you?! You know this is strictly against protocol! And you've wasted the departments money on this bullshit?!"

"I didn't do shit!" Knuckles shouts back

The bathroom door opens up and Sargent Luggs walks out

"Stand down, Detective, I gave the green light for this"

Knuckles and M both look over at their boss

"You what?" They say in unison

"Sonia, here, has been nothing but kind and helpful to the Vace Beach PD so when she came to me with information regarding our case, I made the call to let her in"

Knuckles turns to Sonia as she stands up

"I thought maybe a little party would be a nice ice breaker for all of us" She says

M looks at her "..yeah, alright, but what is all this? Strobe lights, loud music?"

"Hey, I thought these kids you have stuck here could use a break from your FBI treatment, okay? Why don't you take it easy on them? They're good kids" Sonia says

"They're not good, they're evil little bastards!"

"I hate to side with him, but M is right, Sonia. I can't fuckin stand them" Knuckles says

Sonia walks next to Starr, Duncan and AJ "So, they may not be the greatest, but they're just teenagers, okay? They'll learn to be better. You want them to change? You could start by treating them like adults. Maybe don't lock them in a cage, right"

M walks up to Luggs "Sir, I highly advise against letting anyone else into our operation! Look what's happened since Jonathan joined us!"

"Enough, M. She stays, end of story. You are dismissed for the night" Luggs says

"Sir-"

The Sargent gives the armadillo a stern look, so he turns around and heads to the door

"Bye" Starr says

M slams the door behind him and quickly jumps into his vehicle.

Sonia starts packing her belongings into her purse

"I'd love to stay but I should get going, too. It's going to be a long week"

"Aw, don't go!" Starr says

"Yeah, you're a lot cooler than Knuckles is, please stay!" Duncan adds

Sonia smiles at them "Don't be too hard on him, guys. He's just a little grumpy about losing that fight earlier"

Knuckles jumps back "What? How the hell did you know I lost- I mean, I didn't lose! He surprised me!"

"You don't have to lie, now. We all saw the video"

"What, you guys have ME under surveillance?"

"We watch everyone, Jonathan. You should brush up on your hand-to-hand skills, in my opinion" Luggs says "No shame in losing a fight. There is shame in letting BOTH suspects escape"

"Well, a little fucking backup would've been nice, too, but apparently everyone wants to sit on their asses and make me do all the work. Sir"

Knuckles walks into the kitchen, pours himself a shot of Whiskey and downs it in one gulp.

Sonia gives Starr, Duncan and AJ a hug before she heads to the front door

"See you guys later" Sonia says as she hugs Vector and Espio

"Goodnight, Sonia"

She walks outside, jumps into her Silver limosuine and rides out into the city streets.

Luggs walks to the front door next "You two are with me, tonight. We need to go over the footage Jonathan provided us with"

"Yes, sir" Vector and Espio say

"Let him sleep off his injuries. And be sure to come in with a better attitude tomorrow, Jonathan"

Knuckles pours another glass of whiskey and lifts it up for a toast as they exit the house.

Duncan crosses his arms and smiles "This place ain't bad, after all. I like your girlfriend, by the way. She's not like you. She's cool"

"You should see her on her bad days. Sonia is something else"

"Makes me wonder what she sees in a dumb muscle meatball like you" AJ says

Knuckles takes a drink "Probably what Starr sees in you, ya big dumb ape"

Starr and AJ awkwardly look at each other, faces turning red, while Knuckles quietly laughs.

He grabs a few slices of pizza and walks upstairs

"I'll leave you three to decide who jumps on who. Keep that music down or I'll get Vector to electrocute you, again. I'll see you idiots in the morning"

Duncan looks up at him "What does that mean?"

"It means you're coming with me to look for Dogg"

* * *

Dust is kicked up as a gang of thugs walk down a wooden staircase and enter a shady looking basement. The paint is completely stripped off the concrete walls, a slightly foul stench lingers and 4 of the 9 light bulbs are burnt out.

But Sleuth Dogg has lived in conditions like this for much of his life, so it's nothing to him.

The gangsters watch as the 250 pound hitman digs the bullet out of his shoulder, pour rubbing alcohol in the wound and wrap it up with a white gauze dressing.

"So, what'd you want?" Dogg asks

The gang make room for their leader, Angel. His black hair dangles over the right side of his face, the dye appearing extra shiny under these lights. He pulls both hands out of his trench coat pockets and looks around the basement

"I know we didn't exactly leave on good terms, Dogg. Hell, we all thought that kid AJ killed you for good, last time. But I want you to know, Maggie Bloodmoon organized that. It had nothing to do with me" Angel says

Dogg puts a white T Shirt on "Really? 'Cuz I could've sworn YOU ordered him to shoot me in the head"

"Things were different, then. Yes, I had control over Enerjak. But the plan backfired..."

"Yeah, no shit. Now he's working with the cops to track both of us down. No doubt Knuckles set that up"

"Speaking of which, I heard you shot him down tonight"

Dogg looks out a window "Yeah, but I don't think he stayed down for long... so, why are you here? And who are your friends?"

Angel clears his throat "This is one part of The Cathcart Gang, the loyal followers of Geneva Cathcart. She owed me a favor so these guys and gals are working for me, just for a little while"

Dogg looks every member of the Cathcart gang in the eyes, then he faces Angel once more

"..as for why I came to parley with you, well - we both have a problem. Shadow. The shooter from the park-"

"I know who he is, bitch" Dogg says

"Right. Well, he's not only targeted you, but my organization, as well. He seems to think I have something he calls his 'Power Rings', but I assured him I do not"

"Doesn't explain why he wants to cap me, though"

"No, but I have a feeling he won't stop until he gets what he wants" Angel's says

"Well, so far he's killed 3 cops, a couple of Bloodmoon's guys and put an innocent, single mother in the hospital. If his goal was to piss off the entire city, well, he's gettin' there"

"That's what I was getting to. We need to eliminate him before we suffer serious losses. Shadow is the type of psychopath to kill for something so menial... so, I came to offer a truce between us. It's him, and those special units G.U.N has brought in that we need to worry about"

The hitman looks down as Angel extends his hand to him

"I want us to at least come to an agreement. We don't need to work together, but we stay out of each others' way, kill Shadow, and move on in peace. No more in-fighting between us"

Dogg looks at the Gothic Hedgehog "You're going to honour a truce? With me? Why should I believe you?"

"Truth be told, I don't trust you much, but I trust Maggie Bloodmoon less. My quarrel is with her and Shadow. I want no problems with you. The less enemies I have, the easier my job is. You can believe anything you want, I'm putting everything out there. I mean it"

Without much of a reason to trust Angel's word, Dogg shakes his hand, while members of the Cathcart gang sigh in relief.

"Alright, gang. Lets move" Angel orders

He walks up the wooden staircase first, while Dogg turns back to his rifle collection.

Then the burning sensation of a bullet entering his body stings his entire back, so he ducks to the floor, grabs a hidden pistol and opens fire before he's shot again.

All 10 members of the Cathcart Gang fall down, dead before they hit the floor.

"Dogg! I didn't do that!" Angel pleads with his arms raised up

Dogg says nothing and aims his gun at the Goth, but his clip is empty. Angel runs upstairs as fast as he can and runs out the back door.

Dogg tackles him to the ground and strangles him with one hand

"Shooting me while my back's turned? You call that a truce?! You stupid prick!" Dogg shouts

Just then, he gets kicked in the face by a steel toed boot, knocking him off Angel. The gothic hedgehog gasps for air, and his right hand man stands face to face with Dogg.

A Grey/Blue Timberwolf, just as tall but not as muscular, glares into the eyes of Sleuth Dogg. His razor sharp claws make a CLICK sound as the Timberwolf scratches them together, waiting for a response.

"I'm telling you the absolute truth, Dogg!... my men didn't open fire on you!"

"You're such a coward, Angel. Setting up a meeting and hiding behind 10 thugs. Those punks' deaths are on you, y'know that, right"

"You don't know what you've just done. Geneva will come for you. I can't protect you from that firestorm, now. Our truce is off" Angel says

"I never needed your protection, or your bullshit truce. What I need you to do is get the fuck off my property and never come back" Dogg orders

Angel says a few words in a different laungage and his bodyguard stands down. The duo make their way off the property when Dogg calls out once more

"You be a man next time, and do it yourself. I got a bullet for your buddy there, but it's just you who I'm gonna rip to shreds with my bare hands. Know that"

Angel stops the Timberwolf from going back, and they disappear into the darkness, while Dogg walks back to his house.

He notices the bottom-level basement window is smashed, right where he was a few moments prior, indicating someone fired at him from outside.

* * *

Out near the edge of town, Shadow approaches an expensive Mansion property, climbs over a metal gate and throws a stone at a steel reinforced door, getting the attention of a few guards patrolling the property grounds. As expected, the guards run over to the sound, giving Shadow a chance to run past them and hide in between two buildings.

He waits for the guards to walk past him and leave the area, then he rushes towards a large metal garage door. He scans the key code reader and the correct code is displayed on his HUD (Heads Up Display)

 _Pretty easy so far..._

The Black Hedgehog types in the code, the garage door opens up, he rushes inside and pushes the _**close door**_ button just seconds before a guard spots him.

Once he knows he's clear to move forward, Shadow looks around the giant interior of this garage. Expensive cars, large crates and metal shipping containers line the walls, but there's hardly any light inside.

He easily rips open each locked container and begins searching through them for something in particular

 _Come on, I know it's here..._

Just then, the garage door opens up and a Silver Limousine enters. Shadow scatters around to hide, knocking over a few crates

 _Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck!_

The lights turn on, eliminating many hiding spots for the black hedgehog.

Sonia gets out of the back seat and her limo driver turns off the engine.

While trying to climb up the side of a container, Shadow accidentally kicks over a heavy case and it makes a loud CLUNK sound as it hits the waxed floor.

"Hello?" Sonia asks

Her limo driver signals for more guards to come help, while she notices some crates have been broken into.

"Whoever is here, the police are on their way now! Come out and give yourself up!"

Shadow unzips his jacket, pulls out an adjustable Vice Grip and throws it at the ceiling lights. The second it goes dark, Shadow takes off running for the exit. He narrowly avoids running into the guards and he jumps over the barrier to escape the property.

Sonia tries to get a good look at the intruder, but Shadow is already gone.

She pulls out her phone "...Knuckles, can you come by? Something weird just happened.."


	3. Chapter 3

_Chapter 3: Angel's Deal_

Knuckles grabs his gear bag and begins tying his shoes when Starr looks up at him

"Where are you going, now?" the Magenta hedgehog asks

"Probably going to get laid, again"

Starr gives him a disgusted look

"You kids behave yourselves"

Duncan, the short Red hedgehog, stands in his way

"You're wrong, you know"

The Echidna sighs "..about what, Duncan?"

"About Starr liking AJ. I'm clearly the better looking one, and most intelligent" the teen says confidently

AJ, the giant echidna, puts his drink down and glares at Duncan

"You're not better looking than me!" he calls out

"I am, too!"

"You are not!"

Knuckles grabs Duncan's shoulders, moves him out of the way and opens the door

"Have fun with these two, kid" Knuckles says to Starr "...just don't burn the house down. And be ready in the morning"

He shuts the door as he leaves and Duncan stands across from AJ.

"Starr, tell this jockstrap you'd rather wake up next to me than his sweaty face"

She looks at both, remaining silent

"A-HA! Told ya!" AJ shouts

"I didn't say I'd choose you, either, chill out!" Starr says

"Come on, girl, you know I'm the better pick in the long run! I bet he's already got like, 4 girlfriends that are just as sweaty and meat-headed as he is back home!"

AJ jumps off the couch "You don't know shit about me, shut your mouth!"

"Why dont ya come make me, rectum cancer!" Duncan shouts back

Starr gets in between her friends just as they're about to start swinging at each other, doing her best to split them up.

Mighty the armadillo's voice shouts to them through the houses' PA system, getting their attention

 _ **HEY!... shut the fuck up, in there!**_

The teens get quiet for a moment, then Duncan looks at a hidden camera he found hours earlier

"You suck, M!" He says, giving the middle finger to the camera lense

The Red hedgehog's ankle bracket flashes and he gets zapped, dropping him to the floor as he twitches in pain

 _ **Go to bed, you idiots! It's going to be an early start, tomorrow!**_

Starr looks at AJ "We'll talk about this another time"

AJ says nothing as walks to his bedroom, and the magenta hedgehog goes to hers, leaving Duncan alone on the living room floor.

"..asshole.." *ZAP* "OW!"

* * *

20 minutes later, Knuckles arrives to the front gate of Sonia's mansion. He tries to push the "talk"button on the buzzer but his Spiked Glove hits every button on the keypad.

Knuckles gets more and more annoyed when he can't hit the right button

*BEEP* "Come on!..." *BEEP* "No, stop!" *BEEP* "FUCK OFF!"

He rips the glove off his hand and presses the button with his bare finger and quickly puts the glove back on.

Sonia picks up "Yeah, I see you. Come in"

The gates open up and Knuckles walks about 8 feet into the asphalt driveway when 5 guards stop to check him for any weapons

"Come on guys, really? She invited me over!"

"It's protocol" a guard says

"Can't stand this shit..."

Two guards pat him down while two more search his bag, and the leading guard pushes a button on his phone to close the front gates.

"What's your problem, pal?" the lead guards asks

"I don't get along with security guards. Wannabe badass ones are my least favourite"

After they give him the all-clear, Knuckles mutters under his breath and walks towards the mansion.

He walks along the spiraling driveway as it inclines up a hill. He looks behind him and two guards 10 feet behind are following him.

"You don't gotta worry, I ain't gonna steal anything! Jesus.."

He reaches the front door and rings the doorbell, while glaring at his followers. All three wait, then Sonia opens the door for him and he slams it shut.

The guards look at each other

"Well, that guy's an utter pile o' shit"

"Yeah, tell me about it. Wonder why she gets hot for the biggest douchebags on the planet.."

Inside, the Pink hedgehog hands a touchscreen device to Knuckles and presses the PLAY button

He watches as Shadow jumps her front gate, distracts the guards and enters her garage. The footage cuts off as soon as he throws his vice grip at the control board.

Sonia looks at him "Do you know who that is?"

Knuckles puts the device down "Used to... His name is Shadow. Calls himself the ultimate badass, or some shit, I don't know. He hurt you?"

Sonia laughs at this "No, of course not. He was looking for something, though. Went through 8 locked, titanium steel cases but didn't steal anything"

"What would be here that is worth stealing?"

"Other than the few sports cars I own, maybe some documents from work. Blueprints, land permits, transfer papers... employee names-"

"You think he's looking for someone who works in your company?"

"I don't know what to think of him" Sonia sits on a chair "...tell me about this guy, Shadow. What do you think of him?"

Knuckles sits on a chair across the table from her "I think he's a pissed of emo kid who has mommy issues. He can shoot, sure, I saw him earlier tonight almost snipe someone on a rooftop. But why he's searching through your shit, I don't know... either way, he won't come back now and you don't have to worry about him"

"Yeah, he broke into my garage with no problems, I'm sure he'll _never_ pop up again.."

"Why don'tcha give me a break, I'm doing the best I can. Apart from those punk kids I gotta look after, my boss is busting my balls non stop. And M. Ugh, I fuckin hate that guy.."

Sonia pulls her chair in closer "Hey. I'm sorry. I forgot the situation they put you in. Man, that Julie girl really screwed you over, huh"

Knuckles looks up "You knew about that?"

"Yeah, It's all documented in the police station archives"

"Sum'bitch.. then I guess we can skip that part"

She smiles "Skip all the way to the bedroom, I hope"

"Is this gonna be our thing? Call me over to bang?"

"I think so"

She takes his hand and leads him through the massive interior of her Mansion.

They walk up stairs and as they enter a Velvet coloured hallway, many voices in the next room are heard mingling amongst each other.

"What the hell is that?" Knuckles asks

"Oh, that's just a refugee family I'm housing for the month. They're friendly"

"They wont hear us, will they? Cause, you know, you got pretty loud, last time"

Sonia leans in to kiss him and they make their way up one more flight of stairs. The sliding doors are shut and Knuckles jumps in bed with Sonia.

The two guards from earlier look up from outside the mansion, noticing the lights go out in the master bedroom.

"Damn. Why is it always the jersey shore douchebags who get the rich ones? Shit ain't fair.." One guard says as he passes a joint

The second guard takes a long drag, coughs and passes it back "I need a better job.."

 **4:07 AM, DOWNTOWN POLICE STATION**

Angel, the gothic hedgehog with dyed black hair, walks into the station with his hands raised, while the officers put everything down once they realize who he is.

An officer aims his pistol at him "On your knees, now! You're under arrest!"

Angel complies "Easy, boys. I mean you no harm. I just wanna talk to your staff sargent"

15 minutes go by when M enters the intorrogation room Angel is held in. He slams textbook-sized files of paper in front of the goth. He sits across from Angel and begins opening up the file

M looks at the first page "Lets see, your first offence is-"

"Can we just skip this bullshit and get to the part where you offer me a plea deal, detective?"

"Cocky little shit, ain't ya.. what information do you have that would make me even consider that?"

"The associates of Sleuth Dogg, myself, Maggie Bloodmoon-"

M slams his fist against the metal table "We already got enough to put 'em all away for life, you creepy little shit!"

"...I wasn't finished, you dick-eating cop"

"Go on, tell me before I strangle you by that skinny little neck!.."

"Would you be interested in the heads of Pillar Rocks, Westcorp and The Cathcarts?"

M takes a moment to clear his throat and respond "...what do you have on them?"

Vector and Espio rush to enter the recording room behind the two-way mirror and listen in, but miss hearing who Angel names off.

After hearing the names and information, M shuffles the papers and neatly puts them back in the file

"..and you've got substantial evidence of their involvement?"

"I wouldn't have said that if I didn't..."

"Sit tight, I'm going to speak with the higher ups-"

"A full pardon for my past crimes and diplomatic immunity, detective" Angel says

The Armadillo looks back at him "A record like yours pardoned? I don't think so"

"You sure you wanna let this opportunity slip away, Pig?"

"Dont play games with me, freak! I said it's not happening!"

"Alright, lock me away. But just remember YOU could've stopped the real bad guys in this city..."

M thinks about this for a few seconds, then Sargent Luggs enters the interrogation room

"You'll get your pardon and your immunity" He says "But I want you to testify in open court"

Angel grins, while M turns to his boss "Sir-"

"Get out. Let the professionals handle this"

The Sargent sits down across from Angel, while M leaves the room, clearly upset.

Vector and Espio join him in the back parking lot

"I'm not in the mood for this right now, boys.." M says

"We heard what happened" Vector starts off

"..I just can't believe how fast he was to cave-in to Angel's demands! We've been chasing this guy for months and the second he wants to cut a deal, Luggs is there ready to deal. Something ain't right..."

M, Vector and Espio watch as 2 SWAT trucks drive out of the underground parking garage and onto the street.

Espio hears voices in his ear piece talking fast, then he looks back at his friends

"They're sending the team to pick up Bloodmoon's crew"

"What about us?" M asks

His radio sounds out "M, get your team ready. You'll be briefed within the hour"

The armadillo looks at Vector and Espio, then all three rush back inside to meet up with the rest of the team.

 **7:37 AM, SONIA'S MANSION**

Knuckles is woken up by his cellphone vibrating on the glass table next to the bed. He picks it up and answers

"Hello?"

"Dude, they're arresting Sonia-"

That's all he needs to hear.

Knuckles hangs up, jumps out of bed and intercepts the first officer that enters Sonia's bedroom. He growls loudly as he knocks every officer back down the Velvet hallway.

Sonia wakes up to the sound of Knuckles shouting angrily and the officers warning him to stand down

"What is going on?!" She asks

Another team repels off the mansion rooftop and smash through Sonia's windows. M leads a third team in through the rooftop staircase and they surround Sonia

M reads from a notepad "Sonia R, you are under arrest for aiding a terrorist group, conspiracy to commit murder-"

Knuckles knocks M out with a powerful left punch to the jaw, forcing 10 officers to jump on top and subdue him.

Another officer places Sonia under arrest

"You get the fuck away from her!" Knuckles shouts

Sonia looks at Knuckles as the officers take her downstairs

"I don't know whats going on!" She shouts

"I'm going to straighten this out, don't worry! This is a mistake- FUCK OFF, PRICK!"

Knuckles can only watch as Sonia is taken away, while a SWAT team holds him down.

Outside, Vector and Espio shake their heads in disapproval as Luggs orders other teams around the mansion.

After a few minutes, Knuckles is released and Luggs approaches him

"What the fuck was that?! She didn't do anything!" He says

"Jonathan, she's on a big list of associates of a terrorist faction. Angel's testimony gave us everything we needed to make the arrests" Luggs says

"What, you caught him?!"

"No, the little prick turned himself in and gave us this information, as well as some pretty good evidence. I think you should take a look at it-"

Knuckles thinks for a second, then responds "What did he give you this, for? Immunity?!"

"Well, with the amount of evidence we have, yeah, I had to give him that"

"So, a day after you bring Sonia onto the case, you arrest her? And you're gonna let Angel back out on the street? Are you fucking kidding me?!"

"You'd better remember who you're talking to, Jonathan-"

"Clearly YOU'VE forgotten all the people that died because of this guy! And you're just gonna take his word on all this other bullshit, WHY?! He's full of shit!"

Two SWAT cops hold Knuckles back while Luggs walks away

"You're out of line, Jonathan! We've taken care of one of these problems, so you'd better stay at the Safe House for the time being"

As Knuckles tries to break the grip of the officers, M walks up to him and punches him as hard as he can while his arms are held back, leaving him defenceless. After the third punch, Knuckles falls to the ground, bleeding from his nose.

"You son of a bitch!" M shouts at the downed Echidna

"Hey, break it up, you two! Stand down!" Luggs says

M looks the Sargent in the eyes furiously

"I want him arrested!" he shouts

"You don't get to give me orders, detective. As I told you earlier, let the professionals handle this" Luggs responds

"Fuck you, Luggs!"

The Sargent waits for M to calm down, then he shakes his head

"M, you're suspended. Stay away from this case and everyone involved. I'll let you know when you can come back"

The Amadillo jumps into a G.U.N Truck and speeds off of Sonia's property.

"Are you okay, Jonathan?" Luggs asks as he tries to help him up

"Get off me!"

Knuckles jumps to his feet and leaves the compound on foot.

"Just stay at the Safe House until we call you!" Luggs orders

The Sargent looks at Vector and Espio

"You two are in charge while M is away... you know Jonathan the most, talk to him. We're gonna need his help with Dogg"

Vector nods "Yes, sir"

He jumps into his Jeep and the Chameleon follows. They leave the compound and pick Knuckles up around the corner.

They ride around for an hour, just listening to music and eating at drive-thru's. Knuckles has a plan and only trusts them with it.

It's barely past 9 AM once they finally reach the Safe House.

Knuckles pulls out his key and unlocks the front door, waking up Starr, Duncan and AJ. The teenagers rush downstairs and see Knuckles, Vector and Espio.

"Hey, what's up, guys" Duncan greets

Knuckles walks past him "Get your shit on. We're leaving"

"Oh, to find Dogg?" Starr asks

"No, I mean we're leaving this shit hole for good"

Espio turns invisible and disappears, while AJ looks at Knuckles

"I don't know if you forgot, but we kinda can't leave the house without getting electrocuted, dipshit"

Knuckles swings his fist at AJ's ankle, smashing the tracking bracelet to pieces in one swipe.

"Whoa" Starr and Duncan say in unison

"You need to hurry up, bro" Vector says

Knuckles smashes the other two bracelets off and Espio reappears, holding every hidden camera and microphone in the house

"What's going on?" Starr asks

"You said you wanted to leave, well, go. Can't stop you, now" Knuckles says

"This smells like all kinds of bullshit" Duncan says

"These guys aren't who I thought they were. They're dirty. Obviously money runs their agenda" Knuckles says

"I knew it!" AJ shouts "I told you, ya can't trust cops!"

"Wait, what about M? Won't he come looking?" Duncan asks

"He's suspended, he's not coming for shit" Knuckles says

"You guys planned this, didn't you?"

"Something like that.."

Knuckles packs up his gear, finishes a bottle of Whiskey and opens up a new one.

"Either way, you're not my problem, anymore. Go on, now"

As Knuckles continues packing up, the trio look at each other, trying to make sense of this sudden change of heart

"What are you waiting for? Get going!"

"You know god damn well we won't make it across the city limits alone. We're sticking with you" Duncan says

"No, you're not. You're free, understand? Get lost! Go!"

Starr looks into Knuckles' eyes "Duncan and AJ can't admit it.. but we can't do this alone. We won't last an hour out there.. We need you"

The Echidna leans his head against the kitchen table and quietly growls to himself, then stands up straight

"Gotta be fucking kidding me... first, you shit all over me and go on about how you can't wait to leave this place, so I give you the chance to leave and never see me again - and now you can't leave my fuckin' side?!"

The trio gets quiet, but Starr keeps looking at Knuckles with a saddend expression.

"Fine, alright, OKAY! ...but you listen to EVERYTHING I tell you to do! Fuck!... come on, grab your stuff, move!"

The teenagers grab as much clothing and supplies as they can and exit through the back door.

Vector and Espio speak to Knuckles one last time before he goes rogue.

"It's gonna be hell, after this. I hope you're ready" Vector says

"I'm as ready as I can be. Thank you both for covering for me" Knuckles says

He shakes Vector and Espio's hands and The Chameleon looks at his watch

"You have 12 minutes to haul ass outta here, after that your face will be all over town, and every cop will be searching"

Knuckles nods at his friends, then he leads the trio into the forrests that surround Vace Beach.

Vector and Espio get inside the Safe House, destroy every Canera and Microphone, and punch holes in the wall to make it look like a break and enter.

* * *

Sonia wakes up lying on the red seat cushion of a moving car, going at least 80 miles per hour down a dirt road. Her head is sore, and bottom lip is slightly cut. She tastes dried blood, then she looks up to see she's in the backseat, and the same black hedgehog who broke into her garage is at the wheel.

"Shadow!" She shouts

He doesn't answer, just keeps driving

"What - what happened?"

No answer

"Hey! I'm talking to you!"

The Black hedgehog looks back but doesn't say a word, scaring the pink hedgehog

"What do you want from me?! Why am I here?! Oh my god, you're going to kill me, aren't you?! Oh god, please don't!"

"I need you-"

"You need me? What?" she interrupts

"...I need you to open a vault for me"

"Whoa, wait just a sec-"

Sonia tries to open the door but it's locked

"I need some air, Please let me out!"

"Can't stop. We're being pursued"

"What? By who?"

"Police. Angel's Flock. Sleuth Dogg"

Sonia calms down as she tries to remember what exactly happened

"Wait - you broke me out of police custody, didn't you?"

Shadow looks up at his rear voice mirror and makes eye contact with her, then turns back to the road.

"...You can't just kidnap me, asshole! Let me out!"

"The police think you're helping a terrorist group. You do know what they do to terrorist sympathizers, right?" he asks

"I'm not a terrorist sympathizer! I've never even met one in my life! I have no clue what's going on!" She begins to sob "..I run an environmental cleanup company! I haven't done anything wrong!"

Shadow looks back at her as she wipes her tears away, so he finds a big patch of trees to park the car behind and he lets her get out.

She leans against the trunk and looks around

"Where are we?"

"Bolton Pass, or somewhere near there"

"That's over 50 miles outside of Vace Beach! What are we doing out here?!" She asks

"Getting you as far away from the city as possible"

"Don't lie to me, Shadow! I can see through your bullshit as much as I can see through my boyfriends!"

The Black hedgehog scoffs "Seems like your boyfriend couldn't help you out of this - _bullshit_ "

Sonia slaps Shadow across the face

"You don't know a thing about him or me! I looked into your profile, Shadow. Shooting innocent families? You're a psychopath!"

"And you're Angel's cover. He's making you take the fall for whoever the mole is inside of your beloved Enviromental Cleanup Company. I just saved you from the interrogators, Sonia"

Shadow walks in close and gets face-to-face with the Pink Hedgehog

"You go back to your city and they'll lock you away for the rest of your life, best case scenario. It won't be such a peaceful stay in the worst case... the only way you live through this is if you trust me. Alright?"

Sonia wipes the last of her tears away and nods at the Black Hedgehog

"Good. Lets move"


	4. Chapter 4

_Chapter 4: The New Allies_

 **31 MINUTES AFTER LEAVING VACE BEACH**

Knuckles uses his spiked gloves to chop down thick branches and long, wet leaves in his way through the swamp lands outside of the Neon lit City.

Starr tests out her elemental powers on local wildlife to clear a path. Magenta purple energy flows from her hands as she blasts down entire trees.

"Why don'tcha take it easy on the trees, kid. No need to kill off the natural life around here" Knuckles says

"Well, apart from your ugly face, there's nothing else around here to shoot" The teenager replies with a smile "Unless, you want me to blast you, cuz I can if you want.."

"You do, and you get pimp slapped. I do NOT care that you're a girl"

Duncan comes in next "Touchy, aren't you"

Knuckles punches the red hedgehog in the gut and he falls to the ground in pain.

"Nah, not at all. Things have gone EXACTLY like I wanted them to go, you little prick. I'm in a great mood..."

AJ looks up ahead and sees the terrain begin to change from wet grass to sand, and notices wooden platforms that gradually rise.

"Hey, guys, I think we're coming up on someone's property-"

Duncan jumps up and interrupts "You know what, Knuckles? Fuck you! I've had it with all this 'you're just a kid' bullshit! I can handle myself, I don't need you!"

"Great, then get the fuck outta here! You're nothing but a pain in my ass, and I'm sure these guys feel the same way!" Knuckles responds

AJ turns to face the guys "Yo, dipshits! We're on-"

Knuckles pushes past him "I got you idiots out of the city, now you don't need me. Go! Get lost! Go be assholes somewhere away from me!..."

AJ, Starr and Duncan stop in their tracks and look behind Knuckles, prompting him to turn around.

He can't react fast enough to avoid being hit by a masked individual swinging by a rope. A metal shield CLANGS off of Knuckles' face and he's knocked off his feet.

As he flies backwards, another individual swings by, grabs his shirt collar and throws him higher into the air.

Knuckles can't do a thing as he's volleyballed thru the air by several masked thugs, most likely residents of this area.

Starr laughs hysterically as the echidna bounces around comically through the air

"Holy shit, he did a backflip that time!" AJ says

"Kick him in the face!" Duncan shouts

Finally, one last thug jumps off the rope, double foot stomps his back and slams him face-first into the sand.

Starr and Duncan give a round of applause for the "show" and laugh at Knuckles.

The thug standing on top of Knuckles takes off her mask and drops her knee in between his shoulder blades, causing him to groan slightly

"Who are you?! Who sent you here?!" She demands, practically screaming it

When nobody answers, the thug pulls out a knife and holds it to the echidna's throat

"Tell me now! Or your friend dies first!"

"Yeah, he's not really our friend. He's actually a drunken piece of shit, so that threat means nothing to us. Go right ahead" Duncan says

"Ok, then-"

Knuckles growls angrily and pushes her off his back, then uppercuts the next thug so hard, blood shoots from his mouth and nose. His fists fly out faster than anyone can react, knocking everyone in his way off their feet.

Starr uses her telekinetic powers to push the female thug against a tree, while AJ and Duncan fight the incoming reinforcements.

"ENOUGH!" A different female voice shouts

Everyone's attention is shifted upwards at the highest wooden platform. A brown female hedgehog walks out of a small wooden hut, flanked by 2 large guards on both sides.

She looks down at the group and recognizes two of them

"Jonathan? Enerjak? What are you doing here?" She asks

Knuckles releases a thug and looks at the hedgehog

".. **Maggie Bloodmoon**. Great.."

AJ glares at her "That ain't my name, you bitch! I'm not a psycho!"

Bloodmoon's two guards aim their weapons at the giant echidna "You don't talk to her like that!"

She grabs both gun barrels and points them down "It's alright. I think the kid deserves that one... you're not with Angel, or G.U.N. So who are you with?"

"Long story, but it don't matter. I'm not staying to tell it" Knuckles says "You dipshits can sit here with the queen bitch of drug runners. I'm leaving. And NOBODY follows me this time"

"I don't do that anymore, Jonathan" Maggie replies "...Angel made sure of that"

"Lotta things he made sure of. But unlike you, I'm gonna do something about it"

"Wait! Please, just hear me out"

"Why should I? You tried to have me killed last time we met! I should pay you back for that, but I ain't a piece of shit like you, who needs 20 guys to beat on someone before jumping in there, herself"

Maggie sighs before answering "Yeah, I used to do some bad stuff. But I left that life! Angel, and whoever is backing him up, took control of everything, not just my crew. Now that he turned rat, EVERYONE is getting picked up or killed off. I had to leave before I was next, Knuckles... Alright? That's my side of the story"

"..that's a very touching story, but it doesn't mean fuck all to me. I've already got a plan and I don't need anybody else dragging me down. Now, if you excuse me, I'll be on my way"

Bloodmoon talks in a different language and the female thug stands in Knuckles way, pointing a Dagger toward his heart

"Better get that blade away from me, lady. I ain't playing around" He warns

"I think there's a way we can help each other" Maggie says

"Not interested"

"You want Angel gone, so do I. But right now, we're both at a disadvantage. If we work together, I'm sure we could do better... it doesn't look like you've done much, by yourself, anyway. You need help on this one, Jonathan"

He sighs angrily "Fine"

The group walk up the wooden platforms and enter the largest hut in this woodland.

The teenagers take a seat on the comfy beanbag chairs around the room, while Knuckles stands at the front door and crosses his arms.

"We need to find out what Angel is involved in, whose protecting him. Once we know, we can target those areas and take him down" Maggie says

Duncan pulls out his cellphone "Well, according to the online news, Angel is a superstar in Vace Beach"

"What are you talking about?"

 **Duncan:** _...the city's police force praise Angel Lefthand for his bravery on his mission to infiltrate the local crime syndicate and cripple them from within. His actions have saved the lives of thousands, and also shined a light on a surprising amount of unexpected criminals, including the executive director of Westcorp and Account manager for Opossum Inc._

Far from the city, Sonia sits in the passenger seat of Shadow's stolen car and reads the exact same article on her phone.

"This is all lies! I haven't done a thing wrong!" She protests "That Angel guy is a son of a bitch!"

"I know. That's why we're going to stop him. But in order to do that, I need this machine from your company. And once I use it, I'm going to destroy it"

"Why?"

"It can be used as a time bomb, and you definitely don't want Angel getting his hands on it"

"Oh.. Shadow, I read some pretty, uh - bad things about you, and what you did. Are those things true?" Sonia asks

"Most of those things have been taken out of context or are just not true. You think I've been shooting people since 1947? Impossible"

"..You read that file, too, huh"

"I keep an updated one in the glove box of every vehicle I commandeer. Saves time"

Sonia looks at the black hedgehog's right arm, his long sleeve shirt is sliced open, but no blood or scars are visible.

"You're not like, a terminator, are you? Crazy Robot running around killing for fun?" She asks

Shadow turns to face her "If I was a robot, I wouldn't have the emotional thought to break you out of police custody and get you to open this vault. I would've just killed everyone in the building and found a way inside"

"Fair enough"

"Anything else you want to ask me? Ask now. Won't be able to talk much once we get there"

"These Power Rings must mean a lot to you, if you're going through this much trouble to get them back"

"...I didn't hear a question"

"Is that ALL you care about? Killing your way to these Rings?"

The car comes to an abrupt stop, forcing Sonia to hold onto her seat as the car stops in the middle of this dirt road.

"Someone is depending on me, Sonia. They got locked away, tortured, starved, interrogated and held underground, probably haven't seen daylight in a decade. Yes. This is all I care about and I won't stop until I get these Rings back. It's the only way I can save them"

"By killing and stealing? Is that what this person wants you to do?" She asks, a little more edge in her voice

"You have no clue what someone like me will do unless YOU lose someone you care about, and someone else begs you for help. You could never understand, because all you know is how to live in $50 000 hotel suites, spend money on garbage and how to lie on your back for assholes like Knuckles"

"Fuck you Shadow"

"Yeah, get mad. You're gonna need that once we get there. And be fast. I won't wait all day for you"

"...let me out" Sonia says

"No"

"I said LET ME OUT!"

"You get out and you won't last 10 minutes"

"If going to jail means you won't get what you want, then I welcome it. Now pull over!"

Shadow opens his mouth to argue but he looks ahead and spots a massive individual walking through the parking Lot of Westcorp south wing.

Sleuth Dogg looks up at the speeding car, looks into Shadow's eyes, and spots Sonia in the passenger seat

" _Look at that_ "

Before the Black hedgehog can pull out a weapon, Dogg raises his Revolver and shoots Shadow in the face.

His head slumps over the steering wheel, while Sonia shrieks in terror.

Dogg side-steps away from the speeding car just before it hits him and he watches the vehicle crash into a street light post. The Hitman rips open the passenger side door, picks Sonia up and fires 4 more shots into Shadow's body, just to make sure he's not getting up.

"LET ME GO!" She screams

"I'm doing you a favor, honey. This guy would've put a slug in you once you were no longer useful to him. It's for the best he dies" Dogg says through gritted teeth

As the large hitman carries Sonia over his shoulder, Dogg pulls the pin out of a grenade, throws it inside the car and quickly escapes the blast radius.

Sonia watches as the inside of Shadow's car explodes and fire engulfs the entire vehicle.

Dogg rests her on a bench and keeps his weapons visible, intimidating the Pink hedgehog into staying in her seat

"...you're Sleuth Dogg, aren't you"

"In the flesh, babe"

"What do you want from me?"

"Same as that piece of shit wanted you for. To get you to open that vault inside. But we're gonna have to move this along because the fire department, and police, will be here in 7 minutes. So, please - after you"

Dogg signals for Sonia to go inside first, to which she complies. She looks back at the fire but the hitman nudges her inside and orders her to keep her attention forwards.

Sonia presses her hand to every security scanner and the metal doors are opened for them. It's not problem to reach the vault room, but by now police sirens are heard getting closer to their location.

"What are you going to do to me after I get you into the vault?" She asks

"Probably eat you"

Sonia gasps and Dogg grins

"Just kidding. I only eat what I take-out. Know what I mean"

"Are you going to kill me? Just tell me, asshole!"

"Kill someone like you? Nah. I like you. You're tough. And I respected your brother... Sonic, not Manic. That kids' a punk"

"Then, what are you going to do to me after this?"

"I have no other uses for you, so I'll probably just let ya go. Just don't tell anyone about our little meeting. Now, open this vault"

Sonia presses her hand on the last scanner and a 12 foot tall door slides open.

Dogg walks into the vault room and opens the first metal crate he finds, and stares at an electronic machine with Chrome linings.

Seeing her chance to escape, Sonia grabs the tall vault door handle and pushes it towards the locking mechanism, attempting to lock Dogg inside.

The hitman thrusts his arm in the way and the door slams against the muscle of his forearm, but he seemingly doesn't feel any pain.

"Not cool, pink. Don't make me angry" Dogg says

He pushes the giant titanium steel door open and out of nowhere, Shadow tackles him into the vault room.

"What the fuck?!"

The Black hedgehog's right eyeball is completely black, apart from a blinking Red Light in the center. His clothing is burned but his body isn't.

Dogg quickly punches him three times but Shadow doesn't feel them, while he throws a powerful kick to the hitman's gut and he drops to one knee.

The pink hedgehog slams the vault door shut, trapping Shadow and Dogg inside.

"Sonia, we need to leave" Shadow says calmly

"What the hell are you?!" Sonia responds

Dogg chuckles as he stands up "..Ah, you didn't tell her"

"Tell me what?"

"I've told you everything, he's trying to agrivate you" Shadow says

"Liar!"

"We have no time for this, open the door"

"You guys want that machine, you can keep it! But I'm getting out of here!"

Just as Sonia steps away from the vault, loud hollering and metal clanging echoes through the building. The first responders start swearing and taunting the trio to come out.

"That's not the police-"

"It's Angel's Flock. They're here to kill us. Sonia, open this door NOW, or you're going to die" Shadow orders

The Pink hedgehog slams her hand on the electronic security scanner and the vault door swings open. Shadow pushes her behind the giant door just as The Flock open fire. Three gunmen stand at the end of this white hallway with automatic weapons.

She shrieks as the bullets start to cut through the titanium steel, indicating these are armour piercing rounds.

Shadow runs down the hall to disarm the shooters.

"Shoot him!" A thug shouts

"I am, the bullets aren't doing anything!" another responds frantically

The Black hedgehog is shot dozens of times but he still reaches the shooters. He starts by ripping the barrels off their machine guns and spin kicking the leader in the chest, knocking him to the floor.

Sleuth Dogg races toward the fight and soon they are back-to-back fighting Angel's Flock.

Shadow thrust-kicks the leader in the head so hard, his neck breaks, while Dogg stomps on the second shooter's face and bites onto the third's neck, drawing a lot of blood. They step away from the dead shooters, and Sonia slowly walks out from her hiding spot.

"Oh my god" She says upon seeing the three dead bodies

She covers her mouth and leans against the wall, now covered in blood splatter.

"You'll get used to it, pink" Dogg says as he wipes blood off his mouth

"I would rather not.."

"They'll send more. We need to move" Shadow orders

"Not without the machine" Dogg protests

"You're not keeping it"

"Neither are you"

"I'm not using it to kill civilians, Dogg"

"Yeah, how come I don't believe that? Oh yeah, cause you've already killed innocent civilians!"

"That last one survived"

"Oh, out of what, 15? Fuck off"

"You do the same thing"

"I don't shoot women and children. My contracts are always assholes like you"

"And that makes you a saint, doesn't it"

"Okay, stop!" Sonia shouts "Can we at least leave here before we continue this conversation?"

Dogg pulls another grenade out "I think it's best if no one gets their hands on this machine"

Shadow watches as the hitman throws the grenade inside the vault room and closes the door. The explosion rocks the entire building, then the trio leave through the a back exit.

Shadow leads them through a path of long pipelines that are hidden by giant trees and bushes, keeping them out of sight.

The sun begins to set be the time they reach an abandoned barn on a farm that hasn't been inhabited in years.

"Alright, now lets start from the beginning" Sonia says "Shadow, tell me the truth. What are you? You're certainly not like me"

"It doesn't matter"

"You just survived being shot in the face and you killed those shooters, I think it matters"

Dogg laughs to himself as he sits on an old bench

"...I'm an android"

"I knew it! Wait, from the future?" Sonia asks

"No. I was created by Dr. Robotnik. He had thousands of duplicates built in his factory, made by other machines"

Dogg reaches into his gear bag and pulls out a flask "This is pretty interesting, would you like a drink?"

Sonia waves off the offer and listens to Shadow's story.

"..he never intended to release just one android, he wanted to launch the entire army all at once. But he was captured before that could happen. A friend of mine accidentally released me from containment, you remind me of her. She's got that same take-no-shit attitude. Ever since then, I've been able to act on my own free will"

"So, where's the original Shadow?"

"...I needed that weapon to find out. It's destroyed now, so the original's location will remain unknown forever"

Sonia and Shadow turn to Sleuth Dogg, casually leaning back in his seat and drinking the alcohol in his flask.

"Oops"

"Why did you need it?" Sonia asks

"I was given a list of objects to find and bring to a warlord who claimed he known the location of the original. This weapon was one of them"

"So you were gonna hand over a WMD to a warlord? Wow. And you thought what I do was bad" Dogg says

"You are no more noble than me, Dogg. We are on the same grounds"

"That's where you're wrong. You see, I am a fully functioning, rational guy. You, are an emotionless psychopath. Yeah, I shoot people for a living, but only the ones who deserve it. You? You pull the trigger on anyone who gets in your way, including, but not limited to entire. fucking. families. We are not the same, robot. I don't murder for the fun of it and try to hold my moral compass above everyone else, like you. So don't compare yourself to me, got it?"

"You talk so much above families, what about you're own? The one you just left one day so you could be a contract killer. That family"

"You don't know shit about me, robot. You don't feel any emotion, what the fuck could you know about family? Nothing. So, get off your high horse and just accept that you're the bad guy"

Shadow walks up to Dogg, towering over him by almost a foot. They say nothing and face off in the middle of the barn, while Sonia tries to get reception on her cellphone.

"Hey pinky! Whose the asshole, now?" Dogg asks

"You both are. Are you happy, you both now know you're bad guys, just standing in an abandoned barn. That where you wanted to end up?..."

"I think I'm gonna go make a fire, it's gonna get cold as soon as the moon comes out"

"I'm going to find a vehicle. We're not going to accomplish anything here"

Dogg heads out towards the forrests and Shadow heads towards the nearest roads, while Sonia sits on an old metal box. She leans against a gate and closes her eyes, falling asleep for the first time since being in her mansion.


	5. Chapter 5

_Chapter 5: Julie is looking for Knuckles_

The sun has already set once Sonia wakes up, sore from lying on the hard metal box. A medium-sized fire burns 8 feet away from the pink hedgehog, warming her up as she yawns and sits up straight.

Sleuth Dogg stokes the flames with a piece of iron he found around this abandoned property.

Sonia's cellphone starts ringing so she pulls it out, but stops once she sees whose calling her.

Knuckles.

She lets the phone ring for another minute, getting the attention of Dogg as he puts another block of wood in the fire.

"You alright?" He asks

"What do you care" Sonia responds

"I'm just being polite"

"Well, dont. I know it's all fake"

Dogg smiles as he adjusts himself in his seat, a long wooden log he chopped down.

"Must be that time of the month, huh"

Sonia turns to him in disgust "You're such an asshole.."

"Well, it's gotta be, or maybe you got trouble with a boyfriend. I don't know"

"...Knuckles isn't like you, but he can be a bastard. Obviously he doesn't care about me if he's more interested in running around the city looking for assholes like you to beat up.. I thought he changed, I really did"

Dogg looks at the pink hedgehog "Wait, you're dating Knuckles? Like, dipshit fire cracker Knuckles?"

"Well, our relationship was doomed from the start, so no, I'm not dating him anymore... Jesus, I'm telling my personal problems to a homicidal assassin..."

"Right, I'm an asshole. I wouldn't know anything about love or relationships. Forget me, pink" Dogg says

Sonia suddenly feels guilty about her last statement, but before she can say anything, Shadow pulls up to the property inside another stolen vehicle, so Sonia walks outside the barn to talk to him.

Dogg notices she left her phone on the metal crate, unlocked, so he quickly picks it up and taps on Knuckles' contact number.

 **K: _Where are you? Why aren't you answering? Pick up._**

Dogg opens up the keyboard and begins typing a message to him.

 _ **This is Dogg. Sonia is with me. Meet me at the boardwalk if you want her to walk away from this. Bring Enerjak. You have one hour.**_

The hitman sends the message and holds the power button to shut off Sonia's phone so she can't read the message right away. Dogg puts the phone back and quickly sits down a second before Sonia returns to the barn and catches him.

"I forgot my phone... Look, I know you and Shadow wanna kill each other, but he said he'll drop you off in town, if you want"

Dogg yawns "Nah, I'm good. I'll find my own way. See you around, pinky"

He is surprised to see Sonia smile at him slightly, and wave to him

"You can still turn your life around, I know there's a good side to you. Anyway, goodbye Sleuth"

Dogg can't think of anything to say so he keeps quiet as Sonia leaves the barn. She gets into the passenger seat of the stolen car and Shadow flies through the dead grass and back onto a nearby dirt road.

Once he knows they are gone, Dogg picks up his gear bag and races through the forrest on his way back into Vace Beach.

Down at Maggie Bloodmoon's jungle hideout, Knuckles has agreed to help her out in exchange for shelter, mostly for Starr, AJ and Duncan.

He's been working all day around the hideout, using his spiked gloves to chop down trees, dig up trenches in case of an outside attack, and building barriers around the wooden shelters.

Clove, the female thug who threatened Knuckles earlier in the day, stands high into the treetops watching the echidna help out her gang. She notices all the scars on Knuckles' body once he takes off his long sleeve shirt, most from past battles. She begins to second-guess her initial judgement of him, and wonders what his motives truly are.

In between working, Knuckles tried calling Sonia but she hasn't answered him once, up until now.

Knuckles reads the text sent from her phone and immediately heads back to camp. Clove jumps out of her hiding spot and follows him back, eager to hear what he has to say.

Knuckles kicks at the rooms Bloodmoon is letting them stay in

"AJ, get up. It's go time, Dogg wants to meet" He says "Come on, let's move"

Duncan yawns as he opens the first door "He ain't in here, douchebag"

Knuckles knocks at the second door "Kid, I said let's go! Come on, stop jerking off and get your shit on"

Starr opens the door "AJ isn't going anywhere without us, Knuckles!"

"Okay, fine, whatever, just get up! Only have an hour to meet him"

Maggie Bloodmoon steps into the wooden shelter "Leaving so soon? I thought we could come up with some kind of plan"

"Save it. I've got Dogg, and that means I've got Angel, too"

"Well, shouldn't you rest before you-"

"Lady, I got all the rest I need. This fucker is going down"

AJ, Duncan and Starr follow the angered Echidna out of Bloodmoon's hideout and head towards the city.

"You've saved us a lot of work around here, Jonathan! At least let me offer a favor, for sometime down the road" Bloodmoon calls out

"I wouldn't ever need a favor from you. Just stay out of my way" Knuckles warns as he leaves the area

Clove stands next to Bloodmoon "We're just going to let them walk away?"

"I want you to follow them. We may need Dogg in order to get Angel. I'm counting on you"

Clove nods, puts on her mask and jumps into the treetops once more.

* * *

As the night goes on, so do all of the parties around Vace Beach. Among the biggest is Angel's 'welcome home' celebration. He's convinced the general public that he was in fact the undercover operative that took down the criminal syndicate that ran the streets, and since he has full immunity from the law, he will not be charged for all the crimes he committed while 'undercover'

To celebrate, Angel was invited by the social elite groups to a party for him.

He has manipulated the everyone into thinking he is the good guy in the story.

"Angel! Lets get a picture for the front page of tomorrow's paper!"

"Over here, Mr. Lefthand!"

"This is the kind of hero this city needed to see, not those criminal vigilantes G.U.N brought in!"

Angel smiles as he is surrounded by adoring fans, paparazzi and high society members in suits. The rooftop party is just getting started, and soon, so does the illegal drug use.

The gothic hedgehog snorts a line across the table and takes a drink of his wine.

"Now, this is what I call a fuckin' party!" Angel shouts happily

The crowd cheers along, and the music gets louder. Armed guards at the doors check everyone for weapons and collect a cover charge to get in.

Mighty the armadillo is next to be patted down, then pays the cover for himself and his guest

Julie Su, Knuckles' ex girlfriend.

"You sure we're going to find him in here? This isnt exactly the type of place he likes to hang out at" Julie says

"He wants Angel, this is where he is, so it'll only be a matter of time before Knucklehead shows up, drunk and dumber than ever" M replies

"I hope so, I have to speak to him right away..."

"Yeah? Mind if I ask what about?"

"Well, it's kinda personal, M. You wouldn't understand"

As The Armadillo starts his next sentence, Sargent Luggs and 4 police officers stand in their way to the V.I.P section.

"I thought I told you to leave this case alone, detective" Luggs says

"I'm here to enjoy a party, aren't I permitted to do that?"

"I know why you're here, and I don't want you stirring up any shit. So just do us all a favor and leave"

The Armadillo scoffs at his boss and grabs Julie's hand, both heading to the exit. Luggs watches them until they are out the door, then he goes into the Lounge.

While sitting in the V.I.P lounge, Angel is approached by a short assistant in a blue suit

"Sir, we have visual on Sleuth Dogg and The Echidna, but they're on opposite sides of the city"

Angel leans over "Send Mr. Tuner"

Julie and M get back to street level and walk to a nearby 24/7 diner.

"Well, that went nowhere.." M says

"That was your boss?"

"Yep. Real charmer, right"

A waitress comes to their table with a pencil and notepad to take their orders.

"You serving beer tonight?" M asks

"Til 2 o'clock, sir"

"I'll take a Bud. Jules, you want a beer?"

Julie shakes her head "No. I can't. Um, a glass of water is fine"

"Would you like anything to eat?" The waitress asks

"Nah, just the drinks"

The waitress heads behind the counter and opens a tall refrigerator, and M turns to Julie

"Not in the mood to have a drink with your old pal, tonight?" M jokingly asks

"No, it's not that... it's just, uh - alright, I'm pregnant"

The armadillo's eyes widen "..and Knuckles is the father?"

"Please don't say anything to anybody! I don't want everyone making a big thing about this! It's just between me and him. And you, now"

"Well, geez, congratulations, Jules. You sure you're uh-"

"Yes. Three weeks, now. I've been trying to call him all week but I think he blocked my number.."

The waitress puts the bottle of beer and glass of water on their table and M takes a big drink before replying.

"Hey, I know I can be an asshole, and I apologize for that... let me buy you dinner, Jules, as a show of good faith. After that, I'll take you home and we'll find Knuckles tomorrow. Okay?"

The pink echidna takes a quick drink of her water and smiles "Alright, M. Thanks"

The armadillo leans over his seat "Excuse me, ma'am? Yeah, we will have something to eat. You serve breakfast all day, right? We'll have two orders of the biggest meals ya got"

* * *

It takes just under an hour for Knuckles and the enhanced trio to sneak back into Vace Beach, but they finally reach the boardwalk and Duncan watches out for G.U.N units, who are currently searching for them.

Starr holds AJ's hand while they wait, and the taller Echidna looks up at the moon.

The red hedgehog walks between a 2 storey house and a tall chain-link fence, puts his back to the wall and climbs up the fence. He reaches the rooftop and uses this vantage point as his lookout.

Duncan pulls out his phone "I can see the whole beach from up here, guys"

AJ barely hears his voice on his end of the call "Come again?"

Duncan adjusts his settings "CAN TOU GUYS HEAR ME?"

AJ moves the phone away from his ears "Loud and clear!..."

"Stop fuckin' around and get ready. This guy'll smoke you if you aren't focused" Knuckles warns

Knuckles turns his back and AJ gives him the middle finger as he walks away.

The boardwalk is a popular destination tonight, dozens and dozens of big crowds make their way through, looking for parties and playing loud music.

And then the drugs start making their rounds.

"Bunch of fuckin' degenerates.." Knuckles mumbles

"Speak for yourself, pal"

Knuckles turns around and a tall, slim-built Timberwolf stands behind him. Before the Echidna can make a move, 4 razor sharp claws dig into his rib cage.

"Move another inch and I'll rip these bad boys out. You'll bleed out in seconds"

A painful sting shoots through Knuckles' entire right side. He glances towards the teenagers and they are in similar predicaments.

"..You're part of Angel's Flock, aren't you? urgh.." Knuckles groans

The Timberwolf slightly grins "Offically, The Flock doesn't exist, but you can call me Mr. Tuner"

"Mr. Tuna?"

The Timberwolf twists his claws around Knuckles' abdomen to show he's not messing around

"Hurgh!...Alright!.. what do you want, Tuner?"

"You're supposed to meet Sleuth Dogg here, correct? Well, I was sent to pick up all of you" Tuner says "And I don't plan on disappointing my employer"

 _Nobody was supposed to know we were gonna be here..._ Knuckles thinks

The Flock dress in all black clothing, apart from Tuner who wears a Blood Red dress shirt under his long jacket.

One of his underlings approaches the lieutenant "Boss, we can't find him. Lost visual back at the canal"

Tuner growls quietly "He ain't comin' tonight. But that's alright, as long as we have these four"

Four female members hold Starr and a male keeps a unique weapon trained on her neck, preventing the Elemental from using her powers.

"Knuckles, I can't move!" She shouts

"It's alright. Just be cool. Fuckers know they can't do anything without those weapons-"

Tuner rips a chunk of flesh from Knuckles abdomen and he drops to his knees in agony. Two more large thugs hook their arms around the echidna's and they wait for instruction.

"Take 'em to the shoreside down by the beach. Our ride is waiting" Tuner says

Knuckles is picked up and forced into the beach sands, followed by Starr, AJ and Duncan.

Everyone else on the boardwalk is either too stoned or too drunk to notice anything wrong, and they pass off the abduction as friends helping friends get home.

Duncan cries for help "Hey! Help us! H-"

A member of the Flock covers his mouth while another punches him in the gut, then continue dragging the red hedgehog down the beach.

The Scope of a Sniper Rifle follows Angel's Flock as they abduct the group from the boardwalk, and the hitman aiming the rifle is looking for his targets.

Sleuth Dogg kneels against a fire escape railing of an apartment building, almost a mile away from the boardwalk. His plan from the beginning was to snipe Knuckles and AJ without being seen.

But now, Mr. Tuner has them.

Dogg thinks about shooting the lieutenant and letting them escape, but the memory of Enerjak shooting him in the forehead reminds him why he invited them here in the first place.

"...I'm gettin' one of you motherfuckers.." Dogg says to himself

He aims the scope on the back of AJ's head, but it'll be a tough shot since The Flock have surrounded him and they are moving downhill.

Dogg takes the shot and AJ goes down.

Down at the beach, AJ collapses and The Flock have to stop to check him

"Somebody shot him in the head!" A thug yells

Starr looks back and screams out, while Tuner leans down next to the tall echidna, then suddenly he knows what happened

"Dogg-"

The hitman reloads his Rifle and smiles "I said I'd have a bullet for you"

He pulls the trigger, the bullet enters Tuner's mouth and rips through the back of his head, dropping the Timberwolf for good.

"The boss is down!"

Starr runs over to AJ's body and tries to use her elemental energy to revive him, but The Large Echidna doesn't need it as he gets up on his own.

"AJ! Are - you okay?" Starr asks

The teenager says nothing, while both his eyes turn blood red and he lets out a monstrous roar.

Dogg's eyes widen "What the fuck?!"

AJ pulls The Flock off of Duncan and Knuckles, and begins beating them down with powerful punches and kicks. Starr helps Knuckles to his feet, Duncan runs behind him in fear

"What the hell is that?!"

Knuckles shakes his head and laughs "...that's Enerjak"

Starr turns to him "I thought you said that energy left AJ's body?"

"Apparently he's got some left. But we can talk about that later, we need to go"

Starr calls out to her friend, and AJ releases a Flock member he was punching. The massive echidna runs up the beach to join his friends and they escape through the crowd.

Mighty the Armadillo and Julie Su are outside of the diner across the street when they see Knuckles leading the teenagers away from the boardwalk.

"That's him right there!" Julie shouts

"Knuckles!"

By now, the entire downtown area is freaking out and running through the streets in a panic, so Knuckles doesn't hear his name being called. Julie and M make their way through the crowd, but can't get to them. Knuckles leads the teens down a side street and disappear in the darkness.

"This way, I know a shortcut where we can cut them off!" M shouts as he grabs Julie's hand

Knuckles holds his abdomen and limps as he speed walks down the dark street, in immense amounts of pain.

"Keep moving! We do t need any cops on our ass!" Knuckles says

Just then, a car honks it's horn and frantically stops just before it hits the echidna.

Knuckles looks through the windshield and sees Shadow driving and Sonia in the passenger seat

"Knuckles?!"

"Sonia! Fuck-face!"

AJ, Starr and Duncan catch up, and look inside the car

"Sonia! Hey!" Starr says

The pink hedgehog waves to the teenagers, while Shadow listens to the police sirens blaring throughout the city, getting closer to their location.

"What the fuck did you guys do?" The Android asks

"We ain't got time to explain, wanna give us a ride?"

Shadow unlocks the back doors and the teenagers get in, but there's not enough room for Knuckles

"Starr, sit on lover boy's lap, I need a seat!" Knuckles shouts

She moves over and the beaten echidna squeezes into the back and shuts the door.

Julie and M climb over a fence and shout Knuckles' name, but aren't quick enough to reach him in time.

Shadow steps on the pedal and his stolen car speeds off into the back streets.

"Son of a bitch!" The Armadillo says

Julie looks confused as she looks at everyone in the car

"..M, do you know who that was with Knuckles?"

"A whole lotta trouble, I'll tell you that.."

While they make their way out of the area, Clove, Maggie Bloodmoon's second in command, watches them and pulls out her phone

"Dogg never showed up, but Jonathan's girlfriend is in town. I'm going to stay down here to try and find out why. I'll keep you informed"


	6. Chapter 6

_Chapter 6: Clove meets Dogg_

Angel walks into a morgue to identify his friend's body for the police. Mr. Tuner is laid out on a cold, metal table and most of the blood has been cleaned off, but the gory result has been left intact.

"Yeah, that's him" Angel tells the officer

"I'll have his records processed, Mr. Lefthand"

Angel puts his hand on the Timberwolf's forehead and sighs

"You were a good friend to me, Callum. I'm sorry I couldn't protect you the way you did for me.."

The gothic hedgehog steps away from the table and a worker zips up the body bag. Angel is escorted to a black 4 door car in the parking lot, and clears his throat before speaking to his men.

"I want that motherfucker in the ground **TONIGHT**. Get Geneva Cathcart on the line right away, I don't care how late it is"

"A couple of our guys have his location. He appears to be drinking inside a small warehouse on Fountain street"

"Get a team ready"

A half-robotized lieutenant with a Cobra Head sits across from Angel, waiting to show his boss his newest device.

"Mr. Hood, have you finished your latest patent?" Angel asks

"Yes I have, sir. Tested and ready to ship out" The forked-tongue Snake says in a raspy voice

"Give me the details"

Mr. Hood holds a touchscreen device in front of the gothic hedgehog.

3 small, white shoe-like devices appear onscreen, each with two tiny gun barrels on both sides, and ultraviolet blue lights on the front for scanning. Each device has miniature wheels on the bottom.

"I call them _Tracking Wheelers_. Small enough to go undetected through any sensors or gateways. Each comes with over 200 rounds of C02 powered ammunition that shoot out as as fast as the average machine gun, with specially fabricated bullets. Everything is non-metal, making it able to bypass metal detectors"

Angel looks at the Wheelers closely "Are the bullets lethal?"

Mr. Hood swipes over to the next picture and displays an unfortunate young man who was tied to a chair and shot in the body multiple times by the Wheeler.

"Very lethal" The Snake smiles

"I want you to find Jonathan, Sonia and the rest of those losers, and put a bullet in each of them before they can cause another scene. They can't be allowed to speak to the police, understand? I've almost got everything set, I just need them taken care of. I'm counting on you, Mordred"

"I won't let you down, boss"

A Flock member in the passenger seat passes his cellphone back to Angel and he speaks to Geneva Cathcart.

"Geneva, how are you? Yes, I know it's late, but I have some fantastic news. You remember Mr. Dogg, yes? Well, my men have him tracked to a small warehouse - exactly what I was thinking... You have my word on that, Ms. Cathcart... right. Oh. believe me, I know what I'm doing. My friends will all benefit from my actions, I assure you. Alright. Talk to you soon"

Angel gives the thug's phone back and leans back in his leather seat.

"Mr. Olive, please make the arrangements for Mr. Tuner. Prepare a package for his mother... I'm really hoping we can sort this out tonight. I don't need to lose anymore friends. I'm on my last card, gentlemen. If things work out, we could have all the decks in this city"

Angel's car drives through the rainy streets, while hardly anyone is outside after this evenings events.

Sleuth Dogg takes apart his Sniper Rifle and puts it in a metal box, then tucks it under an old car. The warehouse he stands in hasn't been occupied in a while, and no one has bothered to tear it down. Before Dogg, the homeless would camp out in the building, but the hitman put an end to that.

He rolls up his sleeves and leans against a metal desk, waiting for his attackers to come.

"Don't be shy, fellas. I've got enough to go around"

Dogg watches over 50 hooded figures run inside from all sides of the warehouse, and he cracks his knuckles before meeting them.

Across the street, the mysterious Clove sits on a rooftop ledge and cringes at the carnage and violence displayed by Dogg as he rips through wave after wave of the Cathcart gang. She can't believe how easily the hitman takes these men apart, while being stabbed and punched from all angles. Dogg bites into his enemies, then claws out their faces, and spits their own blood back at them.

"Clove, come in" Maggie Bloodmoon says over the phone

"Here"

"Report"

"I found Dogg"

"Bring him in"

"..I'm not the only one whose found him" Clove says

"Angel's Flock?"

"No, I don't recognize this outfit. But whoever they are, their men can't fight"

"Don't let them kill Dogg, we need him!" Bloodmoon shouts

Dogg jams his claws in a thug's eye sockets and quickly rips them out

"I don't think they'll get the chance..."

As the fight continues, Clove starts to think this Dogg is invincible

Until he eventually gets shot in the back of the leg and drops to one knee.

Dogg still fights but is limited with his attacks, then a thug hits him with a taser, shooting the electricity through the hitman's body,

but he simply pulls the prongs out from his chest and growls angrily.

It takes three Cathcarts with tasers to finally drop him, and quickly tie his hands with zip ties.

"Damn.." Clove says

A blockade of Silver cars surround the warehouse, and more Cathcarts escort their leader into the building.

A bloodied thug pushes a button on the wall, and the big door is slowly closed. Clove quickly jumps across the rooftops until she finds a window with a vantage point.

"Oh, shit" she says

Inside, Dogg has been chained to a rusty metal chair, and Geneva Cathcart steps over the bodies of her men and stands in front of the hitman.

"Those young men I sent to Angel were my nephews, Dogg.. do you know how it felt when I had to tell my sisters their sons were dead?"

Geneva's right hand man puts on a pair of brass knuckles, equipped with tiny razors, and punches Dogg across the face 10 times.

He aims his attacks to the body, and then the legs, finally causing Dogg to howl out in pain.

The leader lights up a cigarette and watches the attack.

"You're dying here, but slowly. A piece of shit like you deserves no less.."

Clove looks on from the rooftop, contemplating if she should help Dogg or not.

* * *

Shadow drives down a dark back road that goes out of town, with only the car's highbeams as a source of light. Duncan rests his head against the back window as he sleeps, Starr lightly wipes the dried blood from AJ's head, and Knuckles sits next to them quietly, grasping his abdomen where Tuner ripped his flesh off.

Sonia looks back at them "Is everyone alright?"

"A lot better, now" AJ says

"He needs stitches" Starr adds

The pink hedgehog looks at Knuckles

"Hey, Knux. Knuckles!"

His head shoots up "Huh? Yeah, I'm okay. Never better..."

"You don't sound okay"

"I just need to uh - to rest... been a long day.."

Sonia turns to the driver "Shadow, where are we going?"

The android scans the numerous houses, trying to find an empty one.

"..Over there. We'll camp out for the night and regroup in the morning"

He pulls into the gravel driveway of a small house

"Is this place even empty? I think I see a light on" Sonia says

"I don't read any heat signatures. Nobody's home"

"Park the car here, we don't want to attract-"

The android smashes the front end of the car into a garage door and it falls to the ground.

"Or just knock the damn door down.."

Knuckles looks at Shadow "Nice one, retard"

"You've been bleeding all over the back seat, leaving your DNA for the police to find. I'd say that's not the smartest thing to do. Jonathan" Shadow says as he puts the car in park

"Enough of this Jonathan shit.. ay, gimme the keys, I don't wanna get stuck out here with no ride"

Shadow drops the keys on the gravel and heads to the front door.

Everyone gets out and Shadow picks the lock on the front door of this house. AJ looks out and notices there are no houses anywhere near this one, and there's only one street light on the road, making this look like the middle of nowhere. The group walk inside and can finally rest.

Duncan opens the fridge and sees its fully stocked

"Sweet, Pizza Pops!"

"They got any beer in there?" AJ asks

"I don't see any - oh, wait, yeah they do!"

AJ puts his hands out and Duncan tosses a can to his friend, but Knuckles swipes it away before he can catch it.

"I don't think so, pal. You're still a little young. Only ones drinking are the adults"

Sonia finds a first aid kit and puts it on the kitchen table

"You can drink that while I clean up that wound, come here"

Knuckles pops open the can and sits down next to the pink hedgehog. She douses a cloth with rubbing alcohol and lifts up his long sleeve shirt.

"This is gonna sting" She warns

"It seems everything does with you.." Knuckles says with a chuckle, then takes a big drink from the can

Sonia dumps the bottle over his wound and the echidna spits out his beer, while the teenagers laugh in the other room.

"Sorry. Hand slipped"

Knuckles winces quietly and takes another drink. The smell of rubbing alcohol fills the entire kitchen, so Starr goes outside, while Duncan and AJ turn on a TV in the living room.

Shadow stands on the back porch, scanning the land for anything suspicious. Starr sits on the wooden railing next to the android and notices his right eye is completely black, except for a small red light in the center.

"What happened to your eye?" She asks

"Some asshole shot it out"

"So, you're a robot?"

"Android"

"What's the difference?"

"Androids always take the form of a living being, while robots aren't limited to that" Shadow clarifies

"Oh, like Dragon Ball Z"

"Like what?"

"You don't know Dragon Ball Z? You been living under a rock?"

"I lived in a laboratory for most of my existence"

"That sounds sad. Have you ever kissed a girl? Or guy? I don't judge"

"I wasn't programmed with emotional attachments, so I can't feel love. I only care about completing my mission"

"And, what is that?" Starr asks

"...finding the original Shadow"

"Did he order you to do that, or something?"

"No. I took it upon myself. This is actually the first time I have had free will over what I do, and I must do this"

Starr thinks about this for a moment "...wait, so what happens when you find the original? Do you get to live a normal life after that?"

"Once I finish my mission, I will be shut down and decommissioned. Terminated"

"What? Why?"

Shadow steps off the porch "I will have accomplished my mission. My presence will no longer be required"

Starr jumps off the railing

"But-"

"I'll stay on overwatch, tonight. Go inside. Rest... don't worry about me"

Starr sighs and walks back inside, while Sonia stands at a window, having listened to the whole conversation.

"Did you hear that, Knuckles?" She asks

He takes another drink "..Yep, and I can't wait til he hits the off switch"

"Why do you two hate each other?"

"That guys' been nothing but a giant sack of shit who only cares about himself. Fuck him"

Sonia crosses her arms "You ever think that everyone else might think the same about you, Knux?"

He finishes his beer and tosses the can in a recycling bin

"I don't care what everyone thinks of me. I know I'm an asshole. I won't pretend to be something I'm not, and I have no problem speaking my mind"

The echidna opens the fridge and grabs another can of beer

"You're better than this" Sonia says

"You know this for a fact, do you? Because I think I'm about as good as I'll ever be... I told ya, I ain't no hero. When we were in your penthouse, you told me that I haven't changed. You don't get dragged through ten tons of shit, watch your buddies die and still put on a fake smile. Me, Sonic and Tails? That's done and over with. Ever since your brother got iced, I've been living my life, the kid lives his. And I choose to be what I'm meant to be"

"..what happened to you, Knuckles? What made you give up?"

"Give up? Ha! More like I woke up. Bad shit keeps happening, and the only thing that stops that is a guy as bad as the problem. That's me. Get used to it"

The pink hedgehog puts the first aid kit away and leaves Knuckles to be alone. AJ and Duncan look at him from the living room so he throws them two beers

"I changed my mind. Do whatever the fuck you want"

Knuckles leaves the kitchen, walks through the door that leads to the garage and he sits inside Shadow's stolen car. He puts the keys into the ignition and turns on the radio.

" _Dr. Funkenstein_ " by Deadmau5 plays

"Ain't there any real radio stations this thing can catch?..." Knuckles mumbles

" _Fly By Night_ " by Rush plays

"Good enough"

* * *

Geneva Cathcart stumbles backwards, slipping in a pool of blood as she retreats from her attacker.

Clove fought off every single member of the Cathcart gang and mortally wounded them all. Arms and legs have been broken by the female thug, and she gives them all a chance to leave, so they take it.

Except Geneva.

"Last chance. Walk away" Clove says

"I'm not walking away from my revenge, you little skank!" Geneva shouts angrily "He dies, then I will walk away"

"Not an option"

Clove roundhouse kicks the gang leader and knocks her out.

Dogg is barely conscious, and very weak from losing so much blood, but he gets a look at his savior.

"...don't tell me you have a 10 year old waiting outside (cough) ..that would be awkward" Dogg says in a weak voice

Clove grins "I can see they didn't beat the sense of humour out of you. No, trust me, if we had a kid together, and you ran away? You wouldn't be alive"

The hitman spits out blood before speaking "You're not with Geneva, you're not one of Angel's thugs, and you're clearly not a cop... don't tell me - Bloodmoon's crew"

"That easy to tell?"

"Nah. You smell too good to be one of her's"

Clove sits on the trunk of an old car "Oh yeah? What do I smell like?"

"...Anastasia Strawberry perfume. The $70 bottle"

The female thug raises an eye brow "You seem to know the specifics of a woman's perfume, Mr. Dogg"

He smiles "My old lady, she wore the same kind. (laughs) Used to buy her 5 bottles at a time.."

Clove looks for any rings on his fingers, but only sees blood and scars.

"This lady still around?"

Dogg shakes his head "...old friend took her head, so I took his balls and fed 'em to him. They capped my boss and I had to send my kids away. They're gonna hate me for the rest of their lives, but at least they'll get to have normal ones. I don't won't them anywhere near me, or the shit that I'm into. I don't know what you heard, but I ain't a complete piece of shit...You understand?"

Police sirens start to get louder, so Clove grabs a pair of bolt cutters and breaks the chains around Dogg's wrists and ankles. She helps the hitman up and carries him out the back door, just moments before police reach the warehouse.

"Holy shit!" one officer shouts

The next officer grabs his radio "This is X-16, we got bodies all over the place, here... only 1 survivor"

Clove and Dogg stick to alleyways and back streets to avoid being seen, then they rest under the canopy of a pizza shop that's closed for the night.

"...so, what's your name?" Dogg asks

"Clove"

"I like that name"

"What, you wanna marry me so we can share the name?" She responds sarcastically

"No, I just uh.."

"Plenty of pigs have pulled the whole Nice Guy routine on me, and buddy, it ended badly every time. Lets just stay professional"

"Alright, then. What's the plan?"

"I'm taking you back to Bloodmoon, she'll know what to do"

Dogg stands up "Yeah, that's a no-go for me. She probably didn't mention it but, she had a demon shoot me in the head last time we met"

Clove looks at him "Demon? Stop bullshitting"

"I know, I didn't believe it, either, until I saw this fuckin' thing in person. Called it Enerjak. It was like Knuckles, you know Knuckles, right? Anyway, this was him, but a foot taller and on steroids. Couldn't be killed, and had the face of the devil. They got some freaky shit on Angel Island, lady. Demonic shit"

Clove crosses her arms "And let me guess, you came back to Vace Beach to kill this thing?"

"And Knuckles. He's the reason Enerjak was brought here. And he led them right to me, so I think payback is in order"

"Wait - Does this Enerjak have anything to do with Angel?"

"He was Enerjak's controller! Fucker is a devil worshipper and wants to bring stuff like that around here! ..He's another guy I have to kill.."

"So work with me, use Knuckles to get to Enerjak, and we can track down Angel. I don't care what you do to him, just as long as he's gone... but we need Knuckles alive, Dogg"

"...fine. I'll spare him, but Enerjak and Angel are dead"

"Fine with me" Clove says

"Now that we got that out of the way, what's the plan?"

"Knuckles' girlfriend is in Vace Beach, and as far as I can tell, she's looking for him. We use her to get to him"


	7. Chapter 7

_Chapter 7: Decision Time_

Knuckles is reclined in the driver's seat and sleeping when his phone vibrates on the dashboard. He is woken up and looks at the caller I.D

Vector

"About time..." he mutters as he answers the call "You get everything you need?"

"Yes, but we need to do this NOW. By morning, they'll know what's going on and Angel will be long gone" Vector responds

"Alright. I was gettin' sick of waiting, anyway. We'll meet up at the spot. Stay off the phone until we see each other"

The Echidna ends the call and puts the keys in the ignition to start the engine, getting the attention of Shadow, still standing on the back porch around the other side of the house.

The Android watches Knuckles back out of the gravel driveway and speed off into the darkness.

Knuckles checks the time on the car's digital radio display

 _1:08. It's still early. Plenty of time before sunrise._

He turns on the car's highbeams so he can see better out on the pitch black back roads.

Back at the house, Sonia is woken up by the car leaving, so she goes outside and catches a glimpse of the tail lights disappearing into the darkness.

Shadow stands next to her and shakes his head

"I never thought he'd ever give up and abandon his friends... first time for everything, I suppose"

"He wouldn't abandon us, Shadow. He's probably just going for a night drive to clear his mind" Sonia says

"..you must hold him in high regard to still defend him. After everything he's said and done to you. That's _**love**_ "

Sonia looks up at him "...I mean, I care about him a lot, but-"

"You say you can see through my bullshit, I can see through yours, as well. I'm not as Knuckles said, a retard. I might not be able to feel love, but I know when I see it. You love him"

The pink hedgehog breaks eye contact and looks at the ground "...maybe I do. But, I don't think he shares that love, or at least wants to show it. He's something else, but deep down I know he's a good guy"

Shadow turns back to the porch "...I think we both know what he loves. Inflicting pain, anyway he can. That's all he knows.. That's no good guy, to me"

Sonia sighs and walks back inside the house, while Shadow crosses his arms and leans against the wooden railing on the back porch.

* * *

Vector parks a dark blue van in a parking garage two levels below ground, while Espio types on his Tablet screen in the back seat. They hear the sound of the toll gate opening up echo through the concrete walls as Knuckles drives the stolen car down to meet them in a back corner. He parks the car three spaces away from their van and gets out.

"Nice ride, where'd you get it from?" Vector asks

"Fuck-face stole it, I don't know where from. Anyway, fill me in"

Espio jumps out from the side door "We were able to access the records of many known associates and former friends of Angel Lefthand. Many of them are in prison because of his testimony, and would love a chance to have him sent to their penitentiary. In other words, we uncovered everything he covered up"

Vector grins "We got the son of a bitch, Knux!"

"I knew I could count on you guys" Knuckles smiles "...so, any idea where he is right now?"

The chameleon pulls up a live feed on his tablet and shows him

"At the _Luxor Champagne Lounge_ , currently indulging in some highly illegal cocaine use"

"That's an odd combo" Vector says

"Well, I hope he enjoys it, last time he'll ever get the chance. I'm going up there"

Espio reaches into the van, grabs a grey gym bag and hands it to Knuckles.

"Espio will cover the outside, should he try to escape in a getaway car" Vector says "...me and you will breach and take opposite sides of the building in case the little prick tries to run. You got a taser, pepper spray and a pair of cuffs in this bag, if you get to him first. You're gonna need me once we catch him, since you're no longer employed by the department. They hear you don't have police privilege, and you bust Lefthand? His lawyers will file lawsuits out the ass long after they release him"

"..would be a lot easier just to toss the little fucker off the roof.." Knuckles says

Vector looks at him "Hey, you wanna take him down? This is the only way we can do it. We need him alive, Knux"

"...I need your word on something, both of you"

Knuckles puts the gym bag down and looks at the duo

"..anything happens to me up there, you make sure Sonia and those kids are alright. And I mean, fuckin' ANYTHING. Do I have your word?"

Espio nods "Yes"

"On my life, brother. They'll be fine" Vector assures him

"..alright. lets go bag this sum'bitch"

Up on the 26th floor of the Champagne lounge, Angel sits back in his black leather chair, his girlfriend Jay sitting on his lap as they drink from their glasses.

"..you remember when those hacks told me I was only ever gonna be a lackey, and never make it to the top? Look at me, look at us, babe. We're here" Angel says

Jay pushes her long Brown hair out of her face and kisses him on the cheek

"I never doubted you" she says

Down in a dark security room, a young, skinny member of Angel's Flock skims through his computer screen, looking out for any intruders or suspicious activity.

Then he reads the Vace Beach news article on all the uncovered information Angel had his men cover up.

"Holy shit..." The kid says "..they know. They _**Know!**_ Fuck!"

He buzzes up to the Lounge but no one answers because everyone is too busy enjoying the cocaine. The kid buzzes once more, then takes off running to the elevator, having to go up there himself and tell his boss the bad news.

About a minute after he leaves, Knuckles and Vector appear on the security camera entering the garage, and splitting off towards two different stairwells.

Espio easily climbs up the drainage pipes on the side of a 10 storey apartment building that's directly across from the Lounge, then he pulls out his phone

"I have eyes on the closest exit" he says

"Good. Keep it together, guys. The precinct will take another 20 minutes to respond to the news, so we have to be fast. We're the only ones already here. If we get made, it might be a shootout" Vector says

Knuckles walks up the garage staircase, enters a back hallway the janitors use, and pushes open the doors to a service elevator, used to lift janitor carts up and back down the building. He gets inside and closes the doors behind him, then pulls out his phone

"Which floor is he on?"

Espio takes a second to look at the live feed on his tablet

"..26th, Main Lounge"

The elevator only goes to the 20th because the top floors have separate cleaning services, so Knuckles pushes the last button and the elevator makes its way up.

He reaches the 20th floor and keeps his back to the walls at all times, staying out of sight of the cameras.

As guests are being escorted out of the building, Sargent Luggs sees something move out of the corner of his eye, so he heads over to it.

Knuckles punches the doorknob off of an office and enters, so Luggs raises his gun at him and shouts

"Jonathan! Freeze!"

Knuckles slowly turns around and stares his former boss in the eyes

"...my team knew Angel had a rat in the police department, but I honestly didn't think it was you" Knuckles says

"How dare you, I'm the Staff Sargent of the-"

"Don't bullshit me. How else would you know to be here, waiting, on this specific floor, at this specific time? You even told me you watch everyone, including your operatives. It's YOU!"

"I was waiting here to flush out the rat, Jonathan! There's a reason why we called your team in to help us! We KNEW there was a rat, we just didn't know WHO!...What would I have to gain if I worked for Angel?! Nothing!"

Knuckles doesn't know whether or not to believe him, but once Luggs puts his gun away and leans against the wall, he feels there is no danger.

Luggs closes the door so no one sees or hears either of them talking

"...I can't say I approve of your methods, especially after you freed those convicts. But, you've definitely put the squeeze on this department. Whoever the rat is, their breathing space is getting smaller, thanks to your tactics"

"Enough of the bullshit. You knew I was right about Angel, and that he had a rat. But you still gave him immunity and arrested Sonia. The fuck for?"

"To get him to make a mistake. He thinks we'll never find the evidence, and we never would've, if you, Gaspard and Simmons hadn't gone rogue and did the dirty work-"

"You mean do your fuckin' job for you, right" Knuckles clarifies

"Anyway, we have it. But arresting Angel is only part of the job, you knew that. We need his rat, or any other cop he has in his pocket. And Dogg. That's what you were hired to do. Don't get things twisted"

Knuckles looks out the window, trying not to act out in anger.

"...we bust Lefthand tonight, he'll be out just as fast. We need all the players, Jonathan. Okay?"

Luggs puts his hand on Knuckles' shoulder and looks at the tall Echidna

"It's a losing battle, son. At least it is tonight... go home. We'll sort this mess out, and clear your name"

"And Sonia's! She had nothing to do with this, apart from trying to be a friend.."

"You have my word. Come on, I'll call off my men and make sure you get outta here safely"

Luggs opens the door to leave but he's faced with the barrel of a revolver

Knuckles watches the bullet enter the sargent's forehead, dropping him instantly

Then Mighty the Armadillo enters

" **WHAT THE FUCK?!** "

M holsters his weapon and puts his hands up defensively

"Hey! Chill out, Knux! He's the rat! I have proof! Calm down!"

"Wha- that don't mean shit now, you killed him!"

"He burned us, man, trust me! You know damn well you wouldn't have left here alive!... we need to go-"

Knuckles pushes a table at the armadillo, reaches down and grabs Luggs' gun.

He raises his weapon "You're fuckin' done. You and Luggs here at the same time, both of you saying you're not the rat? That's too many coincidences, one of you is, and I'm willing to bet it's you - HANDS ABOVE YOUR HEAD!"

"Knuckles, believe me, it's not me! I didn't get Sonia arrested, HE DID! I heard what he said to you, why do you think he wants you to leave Angel alone? HE IS THE RAT! Come on!"

"Yeah? Then why kill him instead of arrest him?"

M doesn't answer

"I should shoot you for the hell of it, you snake cock sucker...!"

The Armadillo's eyes widen "Knuckles, **DON'T!** Julie is here, she's pregnant with your kid! She asked me to help find you! I swear on my life!"

Knuckles hesitates, realizing this could be the only truthful thing Mighty has said to him this entire time.

"I swear to fuck, if you're lying to me-"

"I'm not! I can prove it! I'll call her!"

"Do it, gimme the phone"

M reaches into his pocket and pulls out his cellphone, but Knuckles punches him in the face before he can react. The punch knocks him out and he falls next to Lugg's body.

Knuckles opens the phone contacts, taps on Julie's name and calls her.

He points the gun down at M "You better hope she backs up your story.."

Julie picks up her phone "Hello?"

"Julie, it's me, Knuckles!... is it true? You're pregnant? ...I'm the father?"

"Yes, it is! Where are you? I need to talk to you in person!" she says in a slightly desperate tone

"What? Something wrong?"

"...this guy, Sleuth Dogg, he's looking for you. He's using me to - get to you..."

Knuckles' adrenaline spikes upon hearing that name

He hears Dogg and Clove in the background of Julie's room

" _Is that him?_ " Dogg asks, voice muffled in the background

"...I'm sorry, Knuckles" Julie says

"It's not your fault, don't be sorry... Put him on.."

Dogg takes Julie's phone and clears his throat "Hey, pal"

"You leave her outta this, she didn't do nothing! You wanna fight me? I'll meet you. Just - don't you fuckin' hurt her"

Dogg laughs "...sucks not being able to protect someone you love, eh. I know how ya feel. Don't worry, I won't touch her. But I need something from you"

"What do you want?"

"Ooh, you sound scared, Knuckles"

"Just fuckin' tell me what you want and I'll do it!"

"Angel and Enerjak. Bring 'em to me. Then me and you can settle this whole thing like the psychologically damaged men we are. You knew how this was going to end"

Knuckles freezes on the spot, Dogg's words sending a chill down his spine.

He snaps out of it when his own cellphone rings, Vector on the other end

"Knux, where are you? Angel knows we're here for him! He's got a chopper coming!" Vector shouts

Dogg hears this on the other line and laughs

"You're going to arrest him? ...you do that, and I won't keep my word to your old lady, Knuckles. You bring that sack a' shit to me or Julie gets it"

Vector hears this threat on his end

"Knuckles, he's going to escape if you don't move NOW!"

The Echidna shuts his eyes and cries out in desperation.

He hangs up on Vector and speaks to Dogg

"I'll talk to you when I have Angel"

"And Enerjak-"

Knuckles throws M's phone at the wall, smashing it to pieces. He punches a hole through the wall, exposes a pipeline that leads to the 26th and climbs up, one floor at a time.

* * *

Shadow's right eye starts blinking and he looks up, only to be shot in the chest and dropped on his back.

The lights inside the house turn on and Sonia looks out the kitchen window

"What was that?!"

As he gets to his feet, another bullet is fired and this one is so powerful, it tears off his left arm.

Sparks fly as the android struggles to get to his feet, then he sees what is shooting him

The Tracking Wheelers Mr. Hood sent out have finally caught up to them.

"Stay inside-"

The next bullet rips through the back of Shadow's head and he falls to the ground.

The red light in his right eye slowly shuts off and fades to black.

Starr, AJ and Duncan try to get a look at the machine but Sonia pushes them back inside.

"Stay away from the windows!" Sonia shouts

"Wait, I think I can scramble the connection!" Duncan says

He pulls out his phone and frantically types in a series of code into a special app he designed. Once he's satisfied with the work, he points his phone at the Wheeler and presses a button on the screen.

The Tracking Wheeler stops and the lights turn off.

"Holy shit, it worked!" Starr says

"Course it did, I built this thing specifically for this reason!" Duncan gloats "Lets see Knuckles do that!"

Sonia steps outside and leans down next to Shadow, but then gasps as a dozen more Wheelers surround the house

Mordred Hood, Angel's tech genius, sits in the back seat of a Black car holding a Tablet

"Get the boss on the line, he'll be happy to hear we have them" Mordred says

* * *

Angel is escorted into the stairwell that leads to the rooftop, where a helicopter has landed and waits for him.

"Keep the boss safe! We have stragglers in the building!" A guard shouts

Before anyone can react, Knuckles uses a taser to knock the first three guards down, then slaps one cuff link around Angel's wrist.

"No! You motherfu-"

Knuckles elbows the gothic hedgehog in the mouth, dropping him to one knee.

"You're coming with me"

Angel's cellphone rings and he reaches into his jacket to pull it out, but Knuckles takes it from him and answers it himself

"Boss, we have Rochev and the Elementals" Mordred Hood says on his end

Knuckles looks at the video call and sees Sonia, AJ, Duncan and Starr surrounded by Angel's Flock.

Angel laughs as he wipes blood from his mouth "...betcha didn't think we'd find them, huh"

"LET THEM GO"

"Wait! - You unlock the cuffs and let me fly outta town, and I'll release them. If you take me, they die in that field tonight!" Angel warns

Vector calls Knuckles once again so he answers

"Please tell me you have him, Knux!"

"I got him, but... I'm not turning him in..."

A smile crosses Angel's face once he hears this, assuming the echidna is going to let him leave.

"Knuckles, what are you doing?!" Vector demands

Knuckles sprays Angel in the face with a can of pepper spray. He screams in pain and flails around, grasping his eyes, while Knuckles drags him down the stairwell and back into the Lounge.

"Vector, I need a favor. Please, they're going to kill Julie and Sonia if I don't do this! I need your help, you AND Espio"

"...what do you need?"

As Knuckles explains the situation to the crocodile, he drags Angel out of the Champagne Lounge and back to his car in the underground parking garage.


	8. Chapter 8

_Chapter 8: The Walls Come Tumbling Down_

It's almost 2 AM when Knuckles drives Shadow's stolen car out of Vace Beach, and down the familiar dark road he was on the previous hour. Angel Lefthand sits quietly in the passenger seat, hands cuffed behind his back so he doesn't try anything while the Echidna is driving.

Knuckles pulls out his cellphone and dials Julie's number, knowing Dogg will answer

"I have Lefthand, AJ is on his way"

"Who?" Dogg asks

"AJ? ..oh. Right. I mean Enerjak"

"I knew you wouldn't disappoint"

"Where am I going?"

Dogg takes a long drag of his cigarette before answering

"...meet me at the waterfall near Bolton Pass, that's east of Vace Beach"

Knuckles hangs up, dials Vector's number and calls him

"Vector, head down to Bolton Pass, some waterfall down there. He'll use Julie as bait. Tell Espio to go in undetected, man. He can't be seen"

"He won't be. We'll get your girl out, I promise"

"Thank you"

The Echidna hangs up, grabs Angel's cellphone and tries to unlock it, but there's a password.

"Call your buddy who has my friends, tell him to meet us at the waterfall. Now" Knuckles orders

"Fuck you, Knux! Your little shithead friends will die-"

Knuckles strikes the gothic hedgehog with his forearm, drawing blood from his mouth.

"I'm not fuckin' around, call him!"

"Okay! Shit!..."

The car pulls over on the side of the road and Knuckles holds the cellphone next to Angel's head so he can call Mordred Hood.

"Mr. Hood? ...bring them to the waterfalls in Bolton Pass... I know I told you to kill them, but now I need them alive. We'll meet you there. Alright"

Knuckles hangs up and puts the cellphone inside the glove compartment and slams it shut.

"...we make a straight exchange and you're free to go. No bullshit 'til then, got me? Or else I'll end you" Knuckles warns

"...you really are a piece of shit, aren't you, Jonathan? You know damn well Dogg is gonna cap me on sight, and you're just going to feed me to him! You son of a bitch!"

"..the same way you've been feeding this city to your killers, right? Mr. Tuner, wasn't it? Yeah. I must be way worse than you guys.."

Angel looks the echidna in the eyes "...please, don't do this!.. just call the fuckin' cops, man! I'll take prison over Dogg! ...you're taking me to my grave, Knuckles... please-"

"You're god damn right, I am. Then you'll finally get what's been comin' to you for everyone you've sent to their deaths"

Angel curses at the Echidna in an unknown language and leans back in the black leather seat.

The feeling of dread hits Knuckles in the stomach as the car gets silent for the rest of the ride.

Either way, this will finally be over for him after tonight.

 **SEVERAL MILES AWAY**

Mordred Hood sits in the second row of seats in this 7 seat SUV, keeping an eye on AJ, Starr and Duncan in the back seats, while another member of Angel's Flock watches Sonia, sitting in the seat next to Mordred.

Another SUV follows close behind them, serving as protection detail.

"We're here, sir" The Driver announces

"Alright. Get ready, this might be a set up. Protect the boss at ALL COSTS, understand? Angel lives through this, men. ...we owe it to him"

Just as the SUV drives through the dark bushes and branches of nearby trees, Dogg fires his Sniper Rifle 4 times, each bullet hitting all the members of The Flock.

Clove jumps around the treetops and fires her own weapon at the Protection Detail, killing them instantly.

Julie Su sits on a tree stump in the shadows, forced to watch this as she prays Knuckles comes to save her.

Clove jumps off a tree, lands next to Sleuth Dogg and both aim their weapons at the two SUV's.

"...remaining passengers! Out of the vehicle, now. Lets go" Clove orders

The back door opens and AJ steps out first. Dogg lets out one last breath as he glares at the giant teenage Echidna.

Starr stands in front of AJ and her hands glow Magenta purple as her Elemental Energy flows through her body. She faces Dogg, ready to protect her boyfriend from the hitman.

"That's sweet. She thinks she can save him from me" Dogg says mockingly

"Why don'tcha come find out what'll happen if you try it, douchebag" Starr responds

Clove points her gun at the Magenta hedgehog "This is the only thing that's gonna happen"

Clove turns her gun and fires a round into Duncan's stomach, dropping him on his back

"You fuckin' bitch!" Starr screams

Starr leans down next to the Red hedgehog as he bleeds out, groaning in pain while she presses down on the wound.

"Sh-she shot me!... oh, fuck.."

"Hopefully that shows you that we are not messing around. I'm not in the business of shooting punks, but I will in this case if you fuck with me in ANY way. Got that, kids?" Dogg asks

By the time Sonia jumps out and comes around the other side of the SUV, Duncan is barely alive and Dogg growls at the teenagers.

"Sleuth, what're you doing?!" Sonia shouts

Dogg rolls his eyes "Oh, for fuck sakes, the hell are you still doin' here, Pinky?!"

"Don't do this, you don't have to kill anyone!"

"Yes, I do! That's the whole reason I called this meeting! Angel, Knuckles, Enerjak - they all die tonight! Then, I'll disappear for good. But I have to end this"

"Dogg!"

Clove looks at Sonia "What're you, his girlfriend?"

"No. She's Knuckles' girlfriend" Dogg answers

Julie Su jumps out of her seat "No she isn't, I'm the one pregnant with his child!"

Sonia's eyes widen as she makes eye contact with the pink Echidna, while Clove laughs hysterically

"Wait, so Knux knocked her up, left her and is bangin' this chick, now? That's amazing!" She says as she laughs

"Yeah, pretty great role model for the kids, right" Dogg adds

Starr is able to stabilize Duncan's wound, and even use her telekinetic powers to pull the bullet out and finally close the wound. He is still in immense pain, but at least he'll survive.

Meanwhile, Vector and Espio sneak through the bushes as quietly as possible so they don't tip off Dogg.

Vector calls Knuckles "We're here. Yeah, they're all down there. Dogg's new girlfriend helped him shoot everyone in Angel's Flock, but I don't see Shadow... we'll cover all exits as best as we can. Get here fast, the girl just shot Duncan... His patience is already worn thin, man"

Dogg suddenly sniffs around the air, his sense of smell alerting him to the trees.

He pulls out a machine gun and sprays bullets all over the tree lines, but he only sees small birds fly away so he puts his weapon down.

Espio used his invisible camouflage and ducked to avoid detection, but Vector took a couple bullets to the right arm. He does his best to avoid making any noise while the blood pumps out of his bicep.

"...get here. Now.." Vector says to his phone, his voice starting to get weak

Another 10 minutes goes by before Knuckles shows up, driving through the bushes and following the same path Mordred's driver did.

Dogg fires a warning shot "That's far enough"

Knuckles puts the car in park, but doesn't turn off the engine. He steps out and looks at his friends, all standing behind Dogg and Clove. Sonia and Julie look him in the eyes as he walks towards the group.

"Alright. Here's Angel. You got me, now just let everyone else go" Knuckles says

Dogg looks inside the car "...get him out here. Bring him to me"

Knuckles steps around the car. opens the door and grabs Angel's right arm.

"Knuckles, Don't!" He pleads

The Echidna ignores this and drags him out of his seat, then throws the handcuffed warlord to the ground.

Angel slowly looks up and sees Dogg looking down at him with a menacing grin.

"Sleuth, listen-"

The hitman kicks the defenceless hedgehog in the face, unable to block the shot.

"Alright, you got 'em. Everyone else gets to walk. That's the deal!" Knuckles says

Dogg puts his gun down, leans against a tree and lights up a cigarette

"..It's been awhile since we've all been together. Do you remember that, Jules? I remember you. And you too, kid. AJ, you call yourself? ...well, I remember when you put a hole through my skull. And I can't forgive that. I ain't built like that"

AJ gets ready to fight when he sees Dogg stand up straight

"...I understand you and this Enerjak thing aren't the same guy, but you shot me in the head-"

"Remember down at the beach? You already got him back, asshole!" Starr shouts

Clove aims her weapon down at Duncan "You shut your mouth or he dies!"

Dogg finishes his smoke and reloads his handgun

"..I gotta finish you"

Knuckles steps in front of AJ, Starr and Duncan

"They're just kids. This started with me, you and Angel. Keep it between us" Knuckles says

"Now he wants to be The Guardian. You don't owe these kids nothing! The fuck are you still protecting them for?"

"...because I haven't been when I needed to"

Dogg points his gun towards Julie "Fine, then I'll just-"

Espio throws 6 razor sharp Shurikens down at the Hitman, causing him to drop his gun. Clove turns her weapon to Knuckles, but Starr uses her telekinetic abilities to disarm her and push the female thug away from the group.

"Go!" Knuckles shouts

Sonia gathers the teens and sends them off through the woodlands, while Vector protects Julie as they escape through the opposite side.

Knuckles tackles Dogg and punches his face with amazing speed, drawing blood instantly. He doesn't stop his assault, kneeing and stomping on his head savagely.

Angel sees his chance to run away, so he gets to his feet but remembers Knuckles put his phone in the glove compartment of the stolen car. The gothic hedgehog gets back inside and struggles to open the compartment but eventually grabs his phone.

He dials a number frantically "Earnest, I need a ride! Dogg has me, come RIGHT NOW!"

Dogg pushes Knuckles off, grabs a hidden gun from an ankle holster and fires a few shots into Angel's back, dropping him to his knees as he screams in agony.

Knuckles kicks the gun out of his hands and picks the hitman up

"You wanna threaten my pregnant girlfriend?! You piece of shit?!"

He punches Dogg as hard as he can, and he takes the shots like they're nothing. Dogg lifts his knee and elbow-strikes Knuckles, knocking him to the ground.

"Give me a second, dickhead... let me finish this prick!.."

Dogg picks up his gun and fires the killing shot into the back of Angel's head. Blood splatters all over, satisfying the hitman.

Knuckles gets to one knee when Dogg points the barrel at him

"You lose"

"WAIT!" Sonia shouts

Dogg points the gun at her, stopping himself from pulling the trigger

"Get outta here, Pink! Don't watch this!"

Dogg can't react fast enough to stop Knuckles from tackling him, taking the gun away and shooting him in the chest until he runs out of bullets.

Meanwhile, Clove runs up to Sonia and pushes her into the deep waterfall.

Knuckles gets off Dogg, forearm-strikes Clove and jumps in after the pink hedgehog. They freefall all the way down, but Knuckles grabs her before they slam into the ice cold waters below.

The impact causes Sonia to cry out in pain underwater, clearly hurt.

Clove helps Dogg to his feet and they stand over Angel's corpse, confirming the gothic hedgehog is finally dead.

Back down in the water, Knuckles and Sonia struggle to stay above the rapids sweeping them down the coast, so he puts Sonia on his back while he holds his breath.

They reach a patch of dirt and Sonia climbs up, while Knuckles stays in the rushing water.

"You alright? Sonia! Can you swim?" He asks

"My neck really hurts.. I'm not sure I can"

Knuckles looks around "Alright, don't worry about it, I'll get us outta here"

If they follow the current down the coast, they'll be taken miles from Bolton Pass and they can swim for the nearest shore.

"Okay, we're gonna follow the current, I'll hang onto the branches in the dirt so we don't get swept under. Just stay on my back and hold on, okay? We'll make it out, I swear"

Sonia nods "I trust you"

"Come on, lets go"

She hangs onto his shoulders and Knuckles digs his fists into the dirt, muddying the waters as they slowly inch down the coast.

He almost loses his grip a few times as the current gets stronger, but he hangs on.

Sonia looks ahead and her heart stops once she sees what's waiting for them

"Knuckles, WAIT!"

"What?!"

"It's Angel's Flock!"

He looks ahead and sees 3 medium sized boats with search lights, clearly looking for someone.

"...fuck it, I can take 'em"

"Knuckles, they'll kill you!"

"Wow, thanks for the vote of confidence.."

"They have machine guns! Think, Knuckles! You can't beat them all before they start shooting"

"Never hurts to try.."

Sonia jumps off his back and swims in front of the Echidna

She grasps his cheeks "Knuckles, you're going to be a father, that child is going to need you!... Angel is dead and the whole world knows the truth, now! Forget them. Lets go home"

Knuckles begins to calm down as he thinks about this, then Sonia leans into kiss him, while struggling to stay above the water.

One of the search lights spots them

"Is that the boss?"

"No, it's Rochov and the Echidna!"

"Kill them!"

Knuckles throws Sonia up back onto the small dirt hill and he barely ducks out of sight before the bullets hit him. He climbs up and they race into a small cave to avoid the gun fire.

They get 12 feet in when a giant stone wall stops them.

"Fuck!" Knuckles shouts

"There's gotta be another way out!"

"...I've got an idea"

The Echidna starts punching the wall, his spiked gloves break through the stone with ease.

The Flock make their way upstream, so Knuckles punches as fast as he can.

Then he knocks the foundation down, causing massive chunks of stone to fall on his shoulders.

"Knuckles!"

"Stay back, I got this! ARGH! Holy Fuck!" He grunts and strains

"It's going to crush you!"

"I can do this, I CAN DO THIS!"

More stones fall from the mountain side like an avalanche, smashing on top of the giant piece Knuckles is holding up.

One final piece smashes the through the dirt they stand on and water begins to flood the cave.

"Sonia, grab my hand!"

In an instant, everything, and everyone, is pulled into the undertow.

Knuckles can't see anything in the muddy water, but searches for Sonia. He pushes chunks away and feels through, but doesn't find her.

 _Come on. Find her. She's not dying._

The Echidna digs and swims around for minutes, not bothering to go up for air. He tries to clear the water but nothing helps.

He looks for her until he drowns. Everything fades from dark grey to pitch black.


	9. Chapter 9

_**Chapter 9: Game Set**_

... _they pulled me outta the water just in time to revive my down 'n out ass, I only hope it was a set of female lips giving me mouth to mouth on that beach._

 _Everything's a little blurry, but I knew it was Vace Beach Police who made the save._

 _Unfortunately, they never found Sonia._

 _She's the second girl in my life I've let down, now._

 _The fuzz took me to a secluded part of town and I already knew why we weren't going to the precinct._

 _These were what you call **bent cops**._

 _Two tough guys tied me to a chair and began to lay into me, while a third Joe counted all the money he just pocketed from my wallet._

 _Don't ask me why I still have a picture of Sonia and Julie next to the cover of Sonic Heroes._

 _Only thing I can say is I need a reminder that I once had friends. Good ones._

 _The beating went on for roughly 10 minutes before they got tired. I rubbed my mouth on my shirt to wipe away the fresh blood. By this point, the pain had just stopped, and a numbness took it's place._

 _Then everyone's favorite Armadillo finally made his entrance._

"..how did I fuckin' know" Knuckles says to his former friend

M looks at the three other cops "Come on guys, really? You had to beat the shit outta him?"

"He had it coming"

The Armadillo pulls another chair in front of Knuckles and sits down

"You didn't have to smash my phone, Knux"

"...would you rather it have been your nuts"

"That thing cost me $1000, Fucktard!"

"Well, you have me in custody, I'm sure your bosses will give you a big raise for doing ONE thing right.."

"Look, this wasn't my idea. I wanted to get you on record to testify against Angel but you brought him to Dogg, instead. He's dead and Dogg is long gone. The Top Brass has no choice"

Knuckles raises an eyebrow "Whaddya mean _no choice?_ For what?"

M opens a briefcase and pulls out a stack of papers with the VBPD logo at the top

"...they want you to sign this waiver that relieves them of any and all wrong doing during the investigation on Angel and the crooked cops he paid"

"So, instead of thanking me for doing their job, the police department is shifting the blame on my team? Am I getting that right?"

M sighs "They're offering you immunity in exchange for the locations of AJ, Duncan, Starr and officers Simmons and Gaspard. Think of it as a get-out-of-jail-free card. Come on, this is a fair deal, Knux"

Knuckles sarcastically laughs in M's face "You're telling me to rat on my friends AND have them take responsibility for the shitty police work during my whole stay here, is that right? ...buddy, we used to be running mates out there. Now you're making me sell out the only friends who still give a shit about me? Fuck you, M! What're you gonna do, kill me?!"

The Armadillo looks back at his fellow officers quickly "..come on, just sign it! It's the best thing you can do!"

"Go. Fuck. Yourself"

M stands up and radio's the precinct

"Yeah, we're taking him in. Be advised"

Knuckles smirks as M's backup untie him from the chair and 'offically' place him under arrest.

"I tried to help you, Jonathan... your life is now in the hands of the court. Have fun with the next 25 years behind bars"

"You better hope we never see each other again, M! You snitch piece of shit!"

 _I didn't know it at the time, but that would be the last time I ever saw him again. That's one for the good guys._

 _They held me for 12 days until my trial, which, of course, pointed out the dogshit police work I had to deal with._

 _I was released later that afternoon, not a dollar left in my wallet._

 _Luckily, I always keep my bank account in the green, so I stopped by an ATM, followed by the nearest liquor store._

 _The job was done, but this wasn't over, not even close._

 _I walked around town aimlessly, hoping to find somebody. Anybody._

 _But it looks like I'm the last one standing._

 _It wouldn't be until I started getting a buzz-on when I finally found something important._

 _The Neon Purple trail left by Starr's elemental abilities._

 _I could tell she was shooting someone with her energy shit, like a laser. The glow was starting to fade, so I had to hurry up and follow the trail before it was gone. I ran all over the backwoods and the energy trail was getting brighter, which told me she wasn't far._

 _I jumped down a cliff side and landed in a small beach area, but this wasn't a place you'd wanna come for a swim. Polluted water, dead grass, chunks of broken glass in the sand. I was lucky I wore my steel toed boots tonight._

 _Then I found her. She was laid out just feet from AJ's body. Duncan was lying 15 feet away, and Clove was dead as well._

 _I missed the showdown._

Knuckles knelt down next to the 15 year old hedgehog and let out a disappointed sigh, fully aware of his failure.

Sleuth Dogg sat on a log a few feet behind Knuckles, his face and body covered with dried blood.

"...They didn't suffer, man. I made it quick"

The echidna's body begins to shake uncontrollably as he hears these words.

Dogg had killed the teenagers.

Dogg stands up and coughs as fresh blood spills out of his waist and stains the sand.

"I don't know if you care to listen, but this is how it went down: Clove found your pals and told 'em to give AJ up, and they could go. They didn't wanna do that. Hell broke loose, the girl shot Clove right when she shot Duncan. Me and AJ went at it, and I beat him til the lights went out. The girl tried to protect him, but uh... yeah. Anyway, here we are.."

Knuckles stands up and turns around to face the hitman. The rage boils over him as he walks towards Dogg, who seems to not care about the situation.

Suddenly, Starr coughs up some blood as she wakes up.

Knuckles looks back at the teenager "Kid?! Hey, you're gonna be alright, just hang in there!"

Dogg scoffs "...I guess she's tougher than I thought. Tougher than her boyfriend.."

"Fuck you, murderer!" Starr shouts, more blood spills out

The echidna kneels down next to her "Save your strength, kid. You're gonna be alright"

Dogg extends both his arms "..so, I guess you've got a choice. Fight me and let her bleed out, or take her to the hospital. Your call"

Knuckles doesn't hesitate to cradle Starr in his arms and pick her up. He walks past Dogg and heads back into town, while his nemesis laughs to himself.

"That's why you'll never beat me, Jon. You give a shit too much. I don't"

"...if you're a man, you'll stay in town so we can find out who beats who. I'm willing to bet it's me"

Dogg turns to him "How do I find you?"

Knuckles drops his cellphone into the sand

"Wait for my call"

The large hitman watches Knuckles and Starr disappear into the foggy woods, then he picks up the phone. He tries to unlock it but doesn't know the password.

All he can do is answer the call, whenever that comes.

Starr coughs and glances at Knuckles "...where were you?!..."

"Locked up, they got me before I could find you guys"

"They killed AJ and Duncan! (coughs)... He tried to kill me"

"I know, I'm sorry, kid. I shoulda been there for you guys and I wasn't. But I'm gettin' you to the hospital, they'll fix you up"

They reach the hospital 15 minutes later and Knuckles shouts for help. Paramedics scramble with a gurney and IV tubes.

He gently puts Starr down and looks at the first doctor

"You take care of this girl, understand? She's just a kid and she's been through hell. You make sure she lives, doc. And don't call the fuckin' cops, alright? The assholes who did this to her might get tipped off"

The doctor nods and the medical team wheels Starr back to the ER. Knuckles leans against the wall as he finally gets a moment of rest.

A nurse approaches him with a cup of water "Hey, you're Knuckles, right? Your girlfriend is up on the 3rd floor"

Knuckles looks at her, takes the water and heads to the elevator

"Thanks"

He rides up and searches the floor until he sees Julie's face

She smiles "Hey"

He grasps her hands "I never meant for you to get hurt, Okay? I'm so sorry about that"

"Well, I'm the one who came looking for you, so..."

She notices the blood stains on his spiked gloves, and the fresh black eyes he received while he was in jail.

"Knux, we're having a child. You can't keep doing this forever, okay? You have to stop doing this shit!"

"I know. I do... but this ain't over just yet. Dogg is the only one left, and he has to die. It's the only way he'll stop"

"If you kill him, they'll lock you up for the rest of your life!"

"No, they won't. I'll be doing them a favor. Fuck, I'll be doing their JOB!.. Jules, I have to do this. Not Vector or Espio. It's gotta be me"

The pink echidna looks away and Knuckles sighs

"...I would've came right back if I knew you were pregnant. I swear. But I didn't. And now I got myself into this mess. But please believe me, this don't end with the cops.. I have to finish this"

She turns around "...our child is going to need you, Knuckles. And I understand you need to do this... So you need to come back as soon as you're done, alright? Come right back here"

"You have my word, babe. I won't leave you, again"

Julie leans in and kisses Knuckles, while running her hands down his shoulders and arms.

She stops abruptly "...you never mentioned this Sonia girl"

"Come on, not now"

Julie drops the subject and says goodbye as Knuckles jumps to his feet and rides the elevator down to street level. He reaches a payphone and dials his own cellphone number.

Dogg picks up "Yeah?"

"Terrence Building rooftop. 1 hour"

"Now we're talkin', pal"

Knuckles hangs up and buys a Soda from a nearby soda machine. He takes 10 minutes to rest, and then makes his way outside.

Only Sleuth Dogg stands in his way, now. And it's time to end him.

 _I rode the buildings' elevator up to the 37th floor then walked up the rest of the way to the roof, in the off-chance he'll just put a bullet in my skull instead of fighting fair._

 _My faith's been shaken enough times during my entire visit here._

 _The Gold wallpaper mixes well with the Black baseboards in this hallway, and the Silver trim completes the artistic feel of the top floor._

 _I chose this place because I know it's been vacated for at least a month. No need to drag any more innocent families into this mess._

 _I'm not one for interior decor or that bullshit, but I take a few moments to admire the colourful environment as I walk past each apartment unit._

 _Who knows, these could be my final moments alive. Might as well appreciate something._

 _After all the bad shit I've done or allowed to happen, I am not afraid to die for that._

 _But I'd much rather it be him who dies._

Sleuth Dogg leans against the concrete half-wall that divides the roof from the ledge, looking out at the neon drenched town of Vace Beach. The cold air hardly affects him, it's what he thinks about that bothers the hitman. His facial expressions convey a more serious, almost disappointed set of emotions.

He is as tired of this fight as Knuckles is.

While he waits, Dogg thinks about the only girl whose been even slightly truthful to him. That being Sonia.

He too blames Knuckles for her death, and that's another reason to kill the echidna.

But yet, he respects him enough to fight him hand-to-hand, as opposed to just shooting him down.

Dogg's thoughts shift from Sonia to Clove, the thug Maggie Bloodmoon sent to capture him.

He knew she was slowly falling for him, so he used that to manipulate her into helping him with his plans.

She died for that.

But unlike his advisory, Sleuth Dogg doesn't feel guilt for his actions, not matter how vile they were.

That's probably why he's questioning himself at this moment.

But the time for second guessing is over.

Knuckles walks up the staircase that leads to the rooftop, kicks the final door open and makes eye contact with Sleuth Dogg. The hitman's train of thought shifts to the enraged, yet silent echidna with the spiked gloves.

Knuckles slams the door shut and walks to the centre of the roof, waiting for Dogg to face him.

"I never meant to kill that kid, Knux" Dogg says as he steps forward "I only came here clip you and AJ. Nobody else needed to die, but plenty of 'em did-"

"And you don't even have a SHRED of remorse for any of them. That's why no ones gonna give a shit when you die up here. You pushed it too far, and I'm gonna show you what happens to pieces of shit like you"

Dogg laughs "Yeah, I'm so sure you'll rub the carpets with my face, right. I'm just another chump gettin' served up to you? ...you weren't ever shit to me and you will die by my hands, you're lucky I grant you that much... You are going to die and I need ya to understand. Know that-"

Knuckles shoves Dogg back "Raising your voice might scare everyone else, but you're just another demented fuck to me. One who needs to be silenced for good"

The hitman puts his fists up "Come silence me"

Knuckles lunges forward with the hardest punches he can throw, each one bouncing off Dogg's face faster than he can put his arms up to block. He thrusts his knee up so Knuckles side-steps right and quickly counters with an uppercut that barely gets through Dogg's guard and strikes him directly on the chin.

Dogg staggers backward, drawing Knuckles in with all the confidence in the world

Until the hitman front kicks him under the jaw and instantly drops the echidna.

"Betcha didn't see that shit coming, huh" Dogg gloats

Knuckles doesn't say anything, just stands up, resets position and remains calm. He doesn't want to lose concentration with such a skilled opponent.

"Not so chirpy, now? No?"

Knuckles throws a light jab out which Dogg slaps away, counter punches and uses footwork to evade the rest of his attacks.

"Go on Knux. Keep it up, I think you're gettin' somewhere with that. Come on"

Dogg slips through Knux' guard and punches him square in the mouth twice, then pivots out of reach just as the echidna tries to counter. Knuckles signals for him to come again, so Dogg mockingly puts his fist out to touch gloves, but Knuckles doesn't fall for it.

"What's the matter, Knux? You don't look as confident as you were a minute ago-"

Dogg blocks a jab but takes a powerful right hook to the liver, angering him. Knuckles tries to find a weak point but his bigger opponent knocks him back each time he gets in close. Dogg picks Knuckles up and slams him as hard as he can on to the rooftops' metal grates.

He kneels on Knuckles right arm to trap it, and grasps his left wrist to stop him from punching up at the hitman.

"You're not as good a fighter I keep hearing about. Better than the average joe, but not by much-"

He smashes Knuckles with a left power punch, causing his head to bounce off the grate.

"...this wasn't ever gonna go your way, Knux-"

Another shot causes blood to flow from the echidna's nose.

"...you wanted to save everyone, and look how many of them lived-"

The third punch connects and Knuckles growls angrily

"...those kids needed you, Sonia needed you, and look where they ended up... same place you'll be in a second-"

Knuckles headbutts Dogg's fist before he can strike him, causing the hitman to wince in pain, and this gives Knuckles the opening he needed. He uses all his strength to push Dogg off of him and jump to his feet. He hits Dogg with a punch that could stop someone's heart, knocking the 250 pound hitman backwards.

Dogg smashes against the half-wall so hard, the concrete cracks under his weight, but somehow remains intact,

until Knuckles races towards him and shoulder blocks the hitman right through.

"The FUUUUCK!" Dogg screams out as he falls

Plummeting toward another rooftop, Knuckles grabs ahold of Dogg's black uniform and uses him to break the fall. They bounce off the second roof and groan in agony, but only Knuckles is able to get up.

"Uugggghhh... wait-"

Knuckles mounts his opponent and rains down anger filled hammerfists, now causing Dogg's head to bounce off the floor, then switches to forearm and elbow strikes. Dogg's face is cut open by the sharp points on Knuckles' elbows, causing Dogg to bleed and frantically scramble to get away. He tries to escape but the echidna has a tight grasp, so whatever Dogg moves, Knuckles is dragged along.

A few neighbours inside the apartment building next door hear both fighters growling and cursing, and they are recognized immediately.

"Ay, ain't that the mass shooter Sleuth Dogg?!" A father yells

A stranger on his balcony nods "It is!"

"And that's Knuckles the Echidna, he's the main reason for all the violence, you know!" a woman adds

A young man pulls out a pistol and leans out his window to get a good shot

"The cops aren't gonna do anything about these assholes, man, so I'mma put them in the ground, myself!"

A roar of approval is heard from the neighbours, as well as by standers on the streets below. Knuckles realizes he's going to be shot at so he gets off of Dogg and dives down.

"Where are ya going?! This shit ain't over-"

Dogg is interrupted as suddenly 4 bullets enter his torso, causing him to howl in pain. He too hits the deck to avoid being shot.

He might have a high tolerance for life threatening injuries, but that doesn't mean he's invincible.

The opponents have to stay low to strike each other, and quickly dive down to avoid being shot. Knuckles connects with a left hook and barrel rolls out of the path of an incoming bullet. Dogg takes a round to the thigh but keeps swinging wildly, not having much suscess. The echidna dodges all 5 punches, counters with an uppercut and jumps up for a short spinning wheel kick that knocks the hitman on his back.

Dogg spits out blood before speaking "Argghh! Can you shitheads just gimme a second to kill this bitch!"

Knuckles sees a thick metal chain he can use as a weapon, but he's grabbed around the waist before he reaches it. Dogg easily picks him up, grabs both his wrists and traps his arms as he begins walking toward the ledge.

"You wanna throw me off buildings? Alright then, let's go for another trip. (cough) ...I know I'll be fine, but I don't like your odds on this fall, though"

Knuckles kicks and strains to get free but Dogg's grip is too strong, so they continue. On top of this, more neighbours with guns aim at the duo and fire a hailstorm of bullets down at them. Dogg grunts as he's shot, but keeps moving, slightly faster now.

"...I told you, it wasn't ever gonna go the way you wanted. Don't fight it. Just - die"

They reach the ledge and Dogg jumps off, pulling Knuckles with him. However, instead of trying to get loose, Knuckles uses the momentum to spin them both in mid air. He reaches out to grab the fire escape railing and hangs on to it with all his strength. Dogg's claws dig into Knuckles' leg, but he's able to kick him off and hang on to the metal railing.

He, and the entire neighbourhood, watch as Dogg falls 11 storeys down towards the street. He bounces off the fire escape and this causes him to backflip in the air, until the inevitable THUD sounds out.

The familiar smell of blood quickly fills the cold air, indicating Dogg is down for good,

at least, upon first inspection.

Knuckles climbs down the fire escape ladders and finally reaches the sidewalk. He stands over Dogg's battered body, expecting to find him dead, but the icy breaths coming from his mouth say otherwise.

"yoooouuuu sonofabittcch... huuggghh... shit.. alright, ya got me (cough)... finish it then, big man... come on, bad ass, kill me in front of your crowd here!... do it!"

Knuckles looks around as the crowd of onlookers wait for his response. The young men and women with guns quickly get down to street level and stare into the eyes of the echidna. Remembering that he let Dogg take his cellphone, Knuckles reaches into the hitman's pockets and takes the fairly exspensive phone back. As the group raise their weapons, Knuckles puts one hand up to ask for one more moment, which he is granted.

"No. I won't kill you, Dogg. I'm a screw up, a failure, whatever these people wanna call me... but I'm not a killer"

The sirens blare out around town, indicating Knuckles needs to leave.

"Where are ya going?! FINISH THIS KNUCKLES! You coward piece of shit! COME ON!"

Knuckles looks up at the group with guns "...he's all yours"

"Yeah, get these thugs to do it, you fuckin' bitch! I WON! **I BEAT YOU, KNUCKLES!** " Dogg screams out

Knuckles limps out of the area moments before the first shots sound out, followed by the police shouting orders at the crowd. The time for war is over, now it's time to move on, and live.

 _I knew If I went to talk more shit to Dogg, the cops would've caught me, so I kept my mouth shut and took off to the back streets_

 _AJ, Duncan, Angel, Shadow, Clove and Sonia were all dead._

 _And the two assholes responsible get to live._

 _I get to live with that._

 _And to think all this started with a call for help. Yeah, right._

 _It's funny how you don't get a chance to mourn, or rest while shits' errupting. But now I can. And I think I will._


	10. Chapter 10

_**Chapter 10: The Ride Is Over, It's Time To Go**_

In the early hours of the morning, Knuckles the Echidna limps into the same hospital he left Starr and Julie Su waiting at.

He intends to keep at least one promise to the girls in his life.

The nurses try to offer medical assistance as he walks in, but he refuses their help and simply grasps his ribs to ease his pain, if only slightly.

One things' for sure: Sleuth Dogg packs a hell of a punch.

Knuckles waits for the elevator and stands behind 6 other patrons, visiting friends and relatives in the ICU. He sees them all staring at him so he speaks

"Yeah, I'm Knuckles. Yes, this is blood, most of it someone else's. Can we move on, everyone? I gotta see someone, too.."

The elevator doors open up and the crowd barely squeeze in. Knuckles pushes his floor number and stands at the door.

A nervous teenage girl taps his shoulder "I-I know you're probably tired, but would you mind signing my mom's get well soon card? She uh, ...okay WE love you - and Tails"

Knuckles looks down at her "...yeah, sure. Got a pen?"

While he signs the card, other visitors get the courage to ask for autographs as well.

This is the first time Knuckles has actually felt important to others, so he basks in this moment. Cramped in a hospital elevator.

He reaches his floor, waves to everyone and makes his way to Julie's bed, feeling much better than he has all night.

"Jules?" He asks as he pushes the curtains back

Julie Su, Vector and Espio sit around Starr's bed and the female echidna jumps to her feet once she locks eyes with Knuckles.

Julie wraps her arms around him "I'm so glad you're alright, Knux!... are you finished with Dogg?"

"Yeah. He won't be causing us anymore trouble from where he's at..."

Starr looks up at him "...did you kill him?"

The group look at Knuckles to hear his response, and he pulls up another chair for himself

"...nah. I made the better decision this time. I _did_ break all his bones, so he won't be walking anytime soon"

The group laugh amongst themselves, then everyone gets silent when their next two guests join them.

Knuckles stands up "Sonia"

The pink hedgehog gives him a fake smile "...hi"

Her chin is bruised, right eye is bloodshot and clothes are ripped. She's clearly not in a good mood.

Behind her, A tall G.U.N agent in a grey striped suit looks around the room, counting everyone on this floor.

"Who are you?" Vector asks

"You can call me agent Warwick"

The agent hands a file folder to the Crocodile and lets him read it.

Warwick sees Knuckles staring at Sonia, so he steps between them and crosses his arms.

"You're kidding me with this, right? The case is solved! All the bad guys are caught!" Vector shouts

Warwick doesn't lose eye contact with Knuckles "Not all of them. Did you guys really think you were gonna get away with fucking over the Vace Beach Police Department? After all the lives lost, both civilian and police? The staff sargent was killed because of your incompetence and frankly idiotic decisions!"

"Luggs was a dirty cop, and those decisions saved this city, asshole!"

"And now this entire Zone is under fire from the victims' families and everyone else who no longer trust their authority!"

"We rooted out the dirty cops, and the government is throwing us under the bus?" Espio asks "That doesn't make sense"

"Liability, gentlemen. I wouldn't expect Jonathan here to understand, but you two should know damn well what that word means in our line of work... I hear all 3 of you refused to sign the waiver Detective M offered"

Knuckles sighs angrily "fuckin' M.."

"We've already gone to trial, the judge ruled us not guilty!" Vector says

"New evidence, new perspective on the matter... somebody has to be held responsible for this"

"You mean take the blame"

Julie looks at the agent "What does all of that mean?"

Warwick buttons up his suit "...I respect you gentlemen enough to give you a moment to say your goodbyes. I'll be waiting in the hall"

Warwick leaves the group and the Knuckles punches the wall in anger.

"...Can't have one moment, ONE fuckin' moment of peace. I was stupid to think I could have good things.."

Julie looks him in the eyes "You said they weren't going to arrest you"

"Yeah, well I was wrong. This whole town is ass-backwards. I'm sorry, Jules.."

"But, our child-"

"There's nothing I can do"

"Run. I'll go with you"

"No. There's no running from this one. They wanna take me, they can take me. I just want this settled"

Vector stands up "You ain't goin' in alone"

Espio nods at him "We've got your back"

They both throw their badges on the floor and shake hands with Knuckles.

He turns to Sonia next "...you got anything to say to us before we leave?"

Sonia looks at Espio, then Vector, and back at Knuckles "...I should never have given you a ride into town. None of this would've happened"

"Well, I think Angel still would've done all his horseshit, but whatever..."

"Goodbye Knuckles"

Sonia walks away from the group and exits Knuckles' life once again.

Leaving on bad terms once again.

Julie crosses her arms "Tell me why, of ALL the girls on the planet, did you leave me for her?"

"I didn't leave you for her, you told me to get out so I left. I happened to run into her at Amy's house and she drove me up here"

"...sure"

He leans over and gives her a piece of paper from his wallet "My friends from down south will take care of you until I get out. Tell 'em I'm calling in that one favor they owe"

"What if they can't help?"

"Tell 'em I'll break their fuckin' legs if they don't"

Julie knows he's kidding so she chuckles at this.

Knuckles looks towards the door "Hey Cop! Get your little pansies to stop touching each other and come take me to jail"

Warwick walks back in with 10 police officers "Oh, you're not going alone. Your friends are coming, too"

The officers push Knuckles, Vector and Espio against the wall and place them under arrest.

"The girl, too" Warwick orders

A female officer puts a handcuff bracelet on Starr's left wrist and cuffs her to the hospital bed she lays on.

Julie gives Knuckles one more kiss "I love you"

"Hey, don't worry, Jules. We'll be outta this shit by the end of the week. I'll see you soon"

The pink echidna watches the police take the father of her child away, along with Vector, Espio and Starr.

By the time the group are placed in the back of police cruisers, everyone in the neighbourhood are standing around and watching the show. Julie stands by herself and looks at Knuckles' bruised face through the back window.

"...I love you, too" Knuckles says, showing his first genuine smile since he's been here

Warwick and his squad pack everything up and the cruisers drive off just before sunrise. They now have every suspect who is still alive in custody, and the trial date will be set by the afternoon.

 **6 AM, DOWNTOWN PRECINCT**

Mighty the Armadillo walks out of the elevator and makes his way through the cubicles on his way to his desk.

He's been promoted from Detective to Lieutenant.

Along the way, he sees his fellow officers watching the Flat screen TV in the office.

Knuckles, Vector and Espio are shown being transported from the cruisers to the holding cells.

"Those assholes finally got what they deserve" M says

The officers put their heads down, turn off the TV and a few mutter insults under their breath.

"What's with all the sappy fuckin' faces? I just got promoted, guys! Lets liven this place up!... hey, there's gonna be some big fuckin' changes around this place! Y'all better be up to the task"

"Yeah, yeah, sure boss"

M brushes this off and heads to his brand new office.

A female beat cop stops the Amadillo right at the door

"A miss Maggie Bloodmoon sent her lawyer here to speak with you about her terms of surrender. Sounded like bullshit, but that's your business" she says

"Crazy bitch must finally know what's good for her. That dipshit lawyer leave a card for me, at least?"

"He left a folder for you"

M quickly unlocks his office door "Tell me nobody opened it up yet?!"

"Course not, boss. We wouldn't ruin it for ya"

M gets in and slams the door shut as he runs to his desk. He rips open a beige folder and instantly freezes on the spot

 _The fuck?!_

The first photo shows M sitting next to Angel in an SUV, the gothic hedgehog taking a swig of his wine.

The next photo is in black and white, but clearly shows the Armadillo taking a package from Angel.

The last photo shows M sitting at his computer deleting files on his 'nemesis'

He looks around, hoping, _praying_ his coworkers haven't seen these yet.

But clearly someone knows.

And there's no going back for the Armadillo.

M opens his drawer and grabs a gun but when he tries to pull the trigger on himself, warm piss slapshes off his face.

His service pistol has been replaced with a water gun.

Android Shadow steps into his office, missing an arm but aiming a Revolver with his good one.

M drops the folders "I-I wasn't working for him! Luggs was the rat! I swear! I ain't a dirty cop!"

Shadow remains silent and doesn't move an inch.

"...fuck sakes-"

Shadow pulls the trigger and the crooked cop hits the floor with a THUD.

"What was that?!" An officer asks

"Shots fired in the boss' office!" another shouts

"Load up, everyone!"

Meanwhile, Shadow drags his body to a hidden safe under his desk, presses M's finger on the scanner and the door flies open.

The Android takes everything inside, grabs the photos and fires a bullet in the air as a warning to the rest of the department.

He dials a number in his cellphone "...It's done and I have your documents"

Maggie Bloodmoon laughs "Great. We have your package, if you wanna come down here to pick it up. Or, we could meet you"

Shadow hears guns shooting at him through the door and grins

"No, I'll be done here momentarily. I'll see you soon"

 **7 DAYS LATER**

Julie, Manic, Tails, Charmy Bee, Cream, Big and Rouge all sit in the courtroom for their friend's sentencing.

Knuckles, Vector and Espio sport a few bruises from their brief time in jail, but they're ready to face Prison.

The judge calls the trio up to face him so they stand shoulder to shoulder

"Jonathan, Officer Simmons, Officer Gaspard, I sentence you to 5 years at the Hallard Maximum Security Facility. I hope you learn from this experience, gentlemen"

Knuckles steps forward "And I hope the fat bastards like you who call themselves officers of the law learn to take responsibility. Until then, you can kiss my ass"

The tallest guard hits Knuckles with his nightstick and grabs him by the arm. All three friends are shackled together so they walk in a single file line on the way out.

Manic and Tails shout to their friends and Knuckles waves back. Charmy and Cream pose together for a selfie with Vector just as he walk past them, and Rouge leans over the retaining wall to kiss Espio before he's taken away.

Julie waves goodbye to Knuckles and he gives a thumbs up, then he's taken out of the courtroom.

 _After it's all said and done, the guys who were called in to help are now taking the fall and going to prison._

 _Life is funny like that._

 _We got on that prison bus and lord shitface was sitting in the back waiting for us._

 _Asshole heals fast._

"Hope you idiots can fight as good indoors as you can outside" Sleuth Dogg says with an evil grin "Ain't nothing but concrete walls and razor wire where we're heading"

"I beat your ass before, I can do it anytime inside the box" Knuckles says

 _Dogg, along with pretty much everyone else, believe we're afraid of prison._

 _I gotta tell ya, we are not._

 _These next 5 years are gonna be just peachy._

 _But we're gonna be just fine._

 ** _THE END_**

 **Thanks for reading my story, I wanted to make this one very different from all my other fics.**

 **Please check out my next one, titled "** **TRICKED"**

 **Til then, peace!**

 **~Menace3117**


	11. EPILOGUE

Just under 30 days have passed since 15 year old Starr was sent to a detention centre for youth. Throughout the past month she's been in and out of court, having a lawyer do most of the talking for her.

Turns out someone paid for the best defence lawyer in Vace Beach to help the teenager out of jail.

A jury reviewed the evidence against her, along with the testimony of Knuckles the Echidna, and subsequently found Starr not criminally responsible for the events that took place in the Neon City.

She was released later that same afternoon.

"Thank you for everything" Starr says to her Lawyer

"Just try to stay outta trouble, kid. I don't think I can work my magic like that again" He says

The Magenta hedgehog picks up her backpack but is stopped by the lawyer at the door

"Ms. Rochev wanted me to give you this on her behalf. She called it a parting gift"

Starr takes an envolope and small brief case.

"..she said she will most likely never see you again, Starr, and that she was sorry about what happened to your friends. She made the arrangements for them, and left a fair amount of money inside, to get you back on your feet"

The teenager smiles, then nods at the lawyer as she exits the courthouse.

Sonia may have left Knuckles in the past, but she hadn't forgotten about Starr.

She arrives at the southeast graveyard 35 minutes later, the funeral service for AJ and Duncan was about to begin. Starr thought it was nice of Sonia to pay for the service, even though nobody came to pay their respects.

Only she and a priest from the local church watched over the caskets as they lowered into two separate graves. It was clear no one in this town had cared about Starr or her two best friends, and the empty feeling in her stomach got worse as the sun set over the city once more.

"...that was a good eulogy, father. My friends were-"

The priest interrupts her "You and your friends sent a lot of innocent souls to heavens gate, little girl. I _did not_ want to be here to send them out, but Ms. Rochev was adamant that I did. She paid a lot of money for this, you know. You're lucky to have a friend like her...to have someone who cares"

Starr didn't know what to say so she said nothing as the priest made his way out of the graveyard.

You know it's bad when even the priest wants nothing to do with you.

Starr stands over AJ and Duncan's graves, recites a prayer quietly and leaves some flowers on the dirt.

It seems she's going to be the only one who gives a shit about these two now that they're gone.

 _I'm sorry, guys. I couldn't save you. I really wish you guys were here right now because I don't know what to do... I'll try to keep moving, though. I love you guys, and I'll see you again someday._

She makes her way back into town, hoping maybe someone is still around. Starr gets to Sonia's mansion and buzzes in, but a recorded message informs her that Sonia moved out almost 4 weeks ago, and the building is private property.

Starr heads out west, she knows it's a long shot but maybe Knuckles is already out.

She reaches the safe house they all met at and goes to open the door but it's locked. The windows are still smashed and she barely hears the silent alarm go off, so she leaves as quickly as possible.

 _Is anybody even still here?_

The teenager walks through downtown, looking for a place to eat but every shop owner refuses to serve her. It seems she's not too popular and certainly not welcome.

"We don't serve your kind"

"And what would that be?" Starr asks

"Garbage"

The teenagers' face turns red from embarrassment as more and more onlookers stop and surround her. The locals give her dirty looks and whisper unpleasant things to each other.

"Freak.."

"There's that murderer right there"

"Get lost, you bitch!"

Starr hears everything and everyone around her, trying her best to stay calm but everything is too much for her.

She screams out in anger and races out of the area, shoving many civilians to the ground.

 _They hate me_

Starr breaks into an office building, takes the elevator up and ignores the blaring alarms.

 _Fine. You assholes win. If this is what you want. I'll end it._

The Magenta hedgehog breaks through the rooftop access door, walks to the ledge and looks over the city one last time.

 _This is it. Fuck everything._

"I wouldn't do that if I were you"

Starr turns around and looks Shadow in the eyes. She races off the ledge and wraps her arms around him.

The only one who cared enough to stop her from jumping, and it's an android.

The Black Hedgehog takes her back to a hideout just outside the city and they talk.

"So, kid... you know how long they gave him, right?"

Starr looks up "Gave who, what?"

"Knuckles. He's inside for 10 years. Judge gave him extra time because of what he did to his cell mates... and they think he had something to do with M's murder"

" **You** killed him, didn't you"

The Android opens a file folder and pushes a set of photos across the table.

"Turns out he was working with Angel from the beginning. All that tough guy shit? It was an act to get attention and suspicion off himself... and guess who would've taken the fall for Angel's murder"

Starr looks at the photos "Us"

Shadow nods and unzips his jacket

"...so, Knuckles is taking the blame? If they charge him for that, he'll never get out of prison!" Starr exclaims

"Exactly"

"Well, you gotta go in there and tell the truth!"

"We'll get to that, but right now-"

Starr stands up "You have to go NOW!"

Shadow smirks "...actually, I was thinkin' of busting him outta prison. It's much faster, and a lot less paperwork"

She looks at him "...are you serious?"

"As serious as I could be"

Starr takes a seat and calms down, while Shadow takes off his Trench coat.

"...I have a slight problem. Bastards blew off one of my arms, so I'd be next-to useless out there. But you, Starr, you could help me"

"How?"

"You help me find the Original Shadow, and I promise to break him out right after. But this might take some time, kid"

Starr looks at the Android "Well, then we'd better get off our asses and go"

 _TO BE CONCLUDED._


	12. EPILOGUE II

**10:47 PM, SOMEWHERE NEAR PRISON ISLAND**

 **ONE YEAR LATER**

Loud, mushy footsteps are heard as Sleuth Dogg and Scourge the Hedgehog trek uphill in the mud. The rain has provided them cover from the prison guards and tactical units in pursuit. It also helps that the sky is pitch black, as the criminals are wearing bright orange jumpsuits. Both are slightly injured following the riot they caused to distract the guards while they escaped. Dogg, the 250 pound hitman, has taken a bullet to his left shoulderblade but seems unfazed. Not wanting to look weak, Scourge, much thinner than Dogg, keeps to himself even though his entire body feels like it's on fire.

At the top of the mud hill is a large drainage pipe they can use to hide in.

Being the more agile of the two, Scourge quickly runs ahead of Dogg, grabs the metal lining inside the pipe and reaches his other hand out. Dogg takes it and they climb inside the opening, finally able to rest.

Dogg kneels down and rests his head against the curved metal wall, thankful he's out of the rain

"...there was about 100 different ways we could've done that..." Dogg says

Scourge's eyes widen "Are you kidding me right now? We actually made it out ALIVE! Did you see how many other idiots got blasted in that yard? We're lucky we took the other exit!" Scourge responds with a grin "..I call that a win, my friend"

"Yeah, but now I've got this 50 cal. in my back and I gotta clean out this wound or it'll get infected..." Dogg sighs "You got a light?"

The green hedgehog shrugs "Nah"

"Great..."

"C'mon, we just escaped a SUPER MAX prison! Why're you goin' all _depressed Batman_ on me? YOU SAID YOURSELF-"

Scourge is immediately shut up by a glob of mud thrown at his face. Before he can retaliate, he and Dogg hear sirens and guards barking orders to a search party.

The hitman signals Scourge to follow, but quietly. They make their way deeper into the drainage pipe, just seconds before bright lights illuminate the pipe opening.

 _ **Commander: Take a look in there.**_

 _ **Guard 1: That's a sewage pipe!**_

 _ **Guard 2: Just do what the commander says.**_

 _ **Guard 1: Damn!...**_

Both the escaped convicts quickly "crab walk" through the pipe, now emitting a foul smell that only gets stronger the deeper they go in. Scourge covers his nose while Dogg holds his breath as he moves.

They reach a concrete wall that leaves less than 10 inches between the top and the ceiling to fit through.

"Watch this" Scourge says, shoulder-blocking past his ally

The slender hedgehog gets a running start, jumps up and easily slips between the top of the wall and the ceiling.

Dogg looks back and hears the footsteps of the guard not far behind, making him sweat.

"Anytime, big guy. 'Less you wanna go on a date with the law" Scourge laughs, voice muffled behind the wall

"Shut up"

Dogg runs, climbs up and tries to superman dive through the opening but his body is a little too thick to get through. The upper part of his body hangs on one side of the wall, while his legs dangle on the other.

Scourge stands face-to-face with Dogg smiling ear to ear "Looks like you're a little stuck, friend"

"No shit, now help me outta here"

The green hedgehog turns his back "I'm feeling a little under appreciated, big boy. Maybe it's better if i just go off by myself-"

"PULL ME OUTTA THIS DAMN THING!"

"Apologize for being a dick this whole time"

"I apologize"

"Now say it like you mean it, I don't believe you"

"Holy f- I'M SORRY! PULL ME OUT!"

Scourge chuckles as he grabs Dogg's wrists, kicks off the wall and pulls his ally over the wall. Dogg slams hard on to the asphalt but remains silent as the guard checks the area he was just at.

 _ **Guard 1: Ain't nothing down here. This is a waste of time...**_

Dogg and Scourge wait until they know the guard is gone, then they get back to their feet and continue down the pipeline.

Scourge laughs manically, which echoes throughout the entire pipeline

"What'd I tell you, man, we MADE IT!"

(MADE IT, Made It, made it)

"WOOO! That was fun!"

"Shut the hell up, someone's gonna hear us!" Dogg growls

"Relax, nobody's down here, man, chill out!" Scourge says "We're home free!"

Dogg scoffs "Yeah, a sewage pipe?"

"You're always negative. This is our new life. We're gutter bums, now"

The hitman lets out a deep sigh and looks at the ground, until his strong sense of smell gets a faint scent

Someone is nearby

He jumps up and shows his claws "Who's there?"

"Hey, hey, easy man! I'm not a cop or anything!" A male voice says from the shadows

Scourge stands up "This just got a whole lot more interesting"

"Come outta the shadows and face me like a man" Dogg says

It takes a moment, but the stranger finally gets the courage to raise his arms and face the convicts.

He is a black Bat with shorten wings and a pair of goggles on, no doubt able to see in the pitch black darkness of this pipeline

"Good. I know what you look like, now" Dogg says "...don't tell a soul about us, and you can go home safely"

The stranger looks around the area

"Uh-oh, he knows something we don't" Scourge says "What is it? Spit it out, dude"

"Gentlemen? This uh... this _is_ my home"

The large hitman looks behind the stranger and sees the silhouettes of other creatures looking down at them.

"God Damnit, he's not alone"

As Dogg and Scourge get ready to fight, The Stranger stands in their way with his arms raised

"WAIT! Please, they mean you no harm! They're innocent kids, just leave them be!"

As the two parties stand off, Dogg stares at the ground for a moment, with memories of his past start flooding his mind.

A trio of friends, no older than 17, face the large hitman ready to fight to the death.

Next thing he remembers is Knuckles the Echidna viciously beating him on a rooftop high above the streets

Retribution for the teenagers Dogg had slain.

And a long list of other misdeeds.

His train of thought is broken as Scourge nudges his shoulder

"Hey dipstick! What do you wanna do here?"

Dogg lowers his fists

"...what's your name?" He asks

The Stranger sighs in relief

"Paulie"

"Alright Paulie. My name is Sleuth Dogg. As you can tell, we just escaped prison. It doesn't matter why we were there or how we got out, we're here now... assuming this pipeline leads back to the city, as per every subterranean system in the Metropolis area, me and my associate are only looking to get back into the city indiscreetly. And since this is your uh - home, I'm going to ask nicely... may we pass through without any problems?"

Paulie clears his throat "You gotta understand something, mister: this is where we live, the only thing we got left, apart from each other. We don't need any trouble down here, why do you think we left the city?... we're still a bit weary to outsiders"

Dogg sighs "Look Paulie, we're criminals, but we're not bad guys-"

"Anymore" Scourge interjects

"...anyway, I just wanna tell you, man to man, that we only want to get back to the city, nothing more. If you help us, we won't forget it"

"But if you cross us-"

Dogg pushes Scourge back "Stop. Look, you have my word nothing will happen to you or your friends if you let us by. So please, help us get through the underground"

The Bat looks back at his friends, some of which are shaking their heads no. Paulie lets out another long sigh

"Guys, I don't know-"

"We can pay you back once we reach the city. I promise you"

The Bat clinches his teeth together and turns towards the shadows, making up his mind

"...follow me. And stay close"

Scourge grins and looks up at Dogg

"Wow, that actually worked!"

"Just move"

The Large Hitman and skinny Green Hedgehog start walking behind Paulie as he leads them into the pitch black shadows.

Meanwhile, a tall, slender female hedgehog with long red hair starts walking back to a small table in a dimly lit lounge. There aren't many others in here because this lounge is reserved for the elite members of The Chambers. The evening news is about to start so Redd grabs a mixed drink from the mini bar across the room and sits down to watch on a large TV hanging up on the brown walls.

"Redd! I've got something for ya, come check these out" a male voice calls out

The female hedgehog takes a drink and turns to face the front door of the lounge

A middle aged hedgehog with grey, slicked back hair enters the room holding a metal crate. Due to his public image as an underworld boss, only his closest associates know his real name.

Everyone else simply calls him The Host.

He wears an expensive black three piece suit with a gold watch, showing off his stylish outfit to everyone else in the lounge.

"Is that my Jewelry?" Redd asks as she stands up "I've been waiting so long for these, Slayton"

The older hedgehog smirks "Oh, you know I'd have gotten them to ya sooner if I had control over that"

Slayton opens the crate and places it on the small table. Two large Power Rings made of pure gold sparkle inside the padded interior as Redd looks down at them.

"These are the exact same ones Shadow wore?" She asks

"Pulled right from his cold dead hands, young lady. Why don'tcha give 'em a try"

The female hedgehog reaches in, slips both Power Rings onto her wrists and inhales as a strong Aura of energy fills her body. Her eyes illuminate a bright red shade and quickly return back to normal.

"How do ya feel?" Slayton asks

"...I feel like I could put a hole in the moon with my fists, actually"

The Host smiles "That's good, I'm glad they're compatible with you. I was worried the Rings would only work with Shadow"

Redd disappears and quickly reappears on the other side of the lounge, holding her mixed drink up. She teleports back to Slayton and gulps down a fair amount of her beverage.

"These Rings are AWESOME!" She exclaims "Oh man, I'm gonna kick so much ass with these things!"

Slayton puts his arm around her shoulder "That's the next step, kid. You remember what we talked about, right?"

"Yeah, boss"

"I just wanna know if you're still up for it"

"You know I am! Now that I've got these, I'm a god damn machine!"

The Host laughs "...yes, you are. But you're my Angel, before anything"

Redd quickly kisses the older hedgehog on the cheek and smiles "Thank you, Slayton"

He grins, then he changes the channel on the TV

"Alright, everyone, listen up!" He orders

Everyone in the lounge end their conversations and quiet down as the Host begins. He holds a remote up towards the TV and presses a button, pulling up mug shot photos of two former members of The Chambers.

"...so, these two are our main targets. _**Sleuth Dogg**_ and _**Scourge**_. By now, you all know why The Chambers want their lives, so I'll cut the shit. They took my oath to protect and provide for this organization, in return for wealth and status. Then they betrayed us, each in their own way. They've gone against us, against my brothers and sisters not just in this room, but around the world!... so, we're going to take them down"

The elite cheerfully agree with The Host

"...but let me remind you exactly who we're dealing with"

As Slayton continues his speech, Dogg and Scourge follow Paulie for miles through the pitch black underground tunnels, far below the city streets.

... _Sleuth Dogg is a certified killer. An assassin who will not hesistate to pounce on you, should you come at him unprepared. This guy had a big hand in taking down The Cathcarts, Angel's Flock AND the corrupt unit inside the Vace Beach Police Department. So, don't just think he's dumb muscle. He was the best at one time, believe it or not. But... age comes for us all. Still, he's a damn frieght train when he gets rolling, but that doesn't mean he can't be stopped. So, go at him with your absolute best, or don't go at him at all_...

Paulie climbs up a metal ladder and opens a manhole cover, then Dogg climbs up to the street, grateful to see any kind of light after the journey he just went on.

... _Scourge is a different story. He's not the greatest fighter on the planet, and he won't try to engage you 1-on-1, but he's a viper. He'll stalk and wait, and wait until he knows you feel safe, then he'll come for you!... he's a guy that prefers the power of persuasion to manipulate others, rather than using raw force. And that's what makes him dangerous; he can actually do it. He stole $3 million from us before, he's clearly willing and able to do it again. If you can get to him before he sees you, what **ever** you do, take the shot first. He won't give you a fighting chance if you miss._

Scourge climbs up to street level next, shivering as the cold wind hits him while he stands up. He zips his prison jumpsuit up and runs for cover in the shadows of a dark alleyway.

Meanwhile, Slayton finishes his rant about the duo and takes a seat with his elite.

"I want you all to hunt these fuckers with every fibre in your body. Them and ANYBODY who tries to help. You all know what the reward is, so I'd like to think that'd be compensation enough. And remember this: We are the last real crime syndicate on Mobius. I don't want that to end at the hands of two reject traitors. So, make us proud out there!"

The elite cheer in solidarity, then they race for the door, each trying to get the $20 million bounty for themselves.

Redd quickly finishes her drink and looks at her watch, purposely giving her associates a head start.

She smiles at Slayton "They're gonna need it. I'll see you in a few hours with Dogg and Scourge's heads"

The Host nods as he watches his favourite assassin teleport out of the lounge. He reads a newspaper and activates a stopwatch, gleefully timing the hunt.

Elsewhere, Dogg has broken into a nearby clothing shop for a change of clothes, and whatever money he can take from the register. He trades his jumpsuit in for a black long sleeve, matching cargo pants and hiking boots. Scourge hurries away with a slick leather jacket, dark blue jeans with holes purposely cut on each pant leg, and a pair of Black converse hi tops.

Dogg walks over to the manhole cover and gives Paulie several hundreds dollars, but the bat refuses to take it.

"I live underground, Mr. Dogg. I don't need money. Besides, I think you two could use it more, given the circumstances..."

The Hitman wonders if word had already gotten out about him and Scourge crossing The Chambers.

"Well, thank you for showing us through the tunnels"

"It's the least I could do for a pair of dead men"

The manhole cover shuts and now, the escaped convicts were on their own. It didn't take long for the silent alarm inside the clothing store to alert the police, and soon sirens were blaring out all around the city.

Scourge looks over at Dogg "Great, so now what?"

"We'll use Sonic and his friends to help us, whether they like it or not"

"Alright. So, whose first?"

"...Knuckles"


End file.
